Kerry Wood re-signs with Cubs

[Vada Pinson Fan]

This per Rotoworld:
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/Hea...=MLB&hl=226637

Word is that Wood stays for one year and $4million.
He must have wanted to stay in Chicago. Surely Dusty could've persuaded Krivsky and Castellini to exceed that figure. Thoughts?

[mroby85]

I wouldve loved to have Wood, i think he was a low risk high reward type guy, and couldve been a great addition to the bullpen, but i'm happy with it as it is, since Cordero is here.

[I(heart)Freel]

Read another report that says it was $4.2 plus $3.45 incentives.

I'm not sure I would've gone that high, especially after signing Cordero. If you still needed a closer, that might have worked. But for a role-playing bullpen guy, not sure.

[jmble]

I don't think you could have got him without the incentives. Wood has too much of an upside to not get them. I would have gone that high. If he hits his incentives then he is probably worth the signing.

[AmarilloRed]

I thought he was looking for at least 2 years.

[AmarilloRed]

What's Wood's role?

By Paul Sullivan, 2:08 p.m.

Kerry Wood's return to the Cubs on Monday begins a guessing game that figures to last for the next four months.

Who will be the Cubs' closer on Opening Day?

It could very well be Wood, who signed a one-year, $4.2 million deal, plus incentives, to return to the bullpen and compete with Bob Howry and Carlos Marmol for the closer's job.

With Ryan Dempster moving into the rotation, the Cubs will go into spring training with a three-headed monster in the closer's role. General manager Jim Hendry declined to speculate on who will win the job, or if the Cubs can actually start the '08 season with a closer-by-committee situation.

"He proved that when he's like he was in September, he's got great stuff still and certainly has the character and the fortitude to get people out in the ninth inning," Hendry said. "Howry certainly did a terrific job and Marmol was arguably the best young reliever ion the league in his first or second year, for most of the year.

"We just try to give (manager Lou Piniella) as many options. It always sorts itself out. To try and pin somebody down to 'This is their role today' is foolish. Last year, Marmol was about the second group out of camp because he didn't throw very well early in camp, and he turned out being about as valuable a guy as anybody we had."

The only knock on Wood is that he hasn't pitched three straight days, as most closers have to do at least once in a while. Howry and Marmol have done it frequently, and both finished strong in the second half.

"The only question Woody has to answer is he's now going to have to take it to the level of not limiting himself to back-to-back days," Hendry said. "If you're going to pitch all the time in the eighth or the ninth, then on occasion obviously you're going to have to go three days in row."

Hendry said the 30-year-old Wood turned down some multi-year offers worth more money to return to the Cubs, showing loyalty to the organization that drafted him in 1995 and stuck with his throughout various arm injuries over his career.

With Dempster moving into the rotation, Hendry said he probably wont be looking for starting pitching help this off-season. The rotation now consists of Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Rich Hill and Dempster, with Jason Marquis likely vying for the fifth spot with Kevin Hart and Sean Marshall.

Wood is expected to address the media later today, so stay tuned.

I suppose Kerry Wood felt some loyalty to the Cubs, so he chose them rather than go for a 2 year deal elsewhere. I am surprised the Cubs are putting Dempster into the rotation and not upgradiing their starting pitching any more. That could hurt them next year and cause them to fall to .500 next year.

[Degenerate39]

Maybe it's for the best he re-signed with them

[GoReds33]

Originally Posted by Degenerate39

Maybe it's for the best he re-signed with them

Why do you say that? I agree that he is a risk, but he could have great rewards. The seven or so million total that the Cubs are offering up isn't that much. His base salary was a good figure. I like contracts with incentives. The way I look at it is that if he does well, and gets his incentives kicked in, the team would be doing well, and probably will have more money.

[Natty Redlocks]

I think this is like the Brian Giles thing a couple years ago. He never intended to leave the Cubs; he just used the other teams to get the best deal from them.

[Vada Pinson Fan]

My thought is if Dusty Baker couldn't persuade Kerry Wood to come to the Reds, then who does (come here), speaking from a point of need on the Reds part? Yes, Baker stated he had already talked to several players that expressed interest in coming to Cincinnati but at this point I thought Wood was the most logical. I'm so glad we have Francisco Cordero (unofficially at least). So not acquiring Wood doesn't seem to hurt too much.

Interesting to read that Ryan Dempster (aka Ryan Dumpster while with the Reds) is going to give starting pitching another go after Lou cleared it with Hendry (per Rotoword 11/6/07).
Hopefully Dempster doesn't pitch as well as a starter as he did as the Cubs closer. Too bad RD didn't pan out in Cincy when we had him.

[Bip Roberts]

Where is Dempster going to fit in the cubs rotation?

[Degenerate39]

Originally Posted by GoReds33

Why do you say that? I agree that he is a risk, but he could have great rewards. The seven or so million total that the Cubs are offering up isn't that much. His base salary was a good figure. I like contracts with incentives. The way I look at it is that if he does well, and gets his incentives kicked in, the team would be doing well, and probably will have more money.

I just have a feeling he'd be injured most of his time if he came to Cincy and they'd waste 4 million at a time when they could use that money.

[Natty Redlocks]

Originally Posted by Bip Roberts

Where is Dempster going to fit in the cubs rotation?

Supposedly it'll be 1)Zambrano, 2)Lilly, 3)Hill, 4)Dempster, with Marquis, Marshall, and Kevin Hart competing for the last spot. Which sounds a little dumb to me. I have a feeling they'll be shopping Dempster now, actually; I guess we'll find out.

[Vada Pinson Fan]

Originally Posted by Bip Roberts

Where is Dempster going to fit in the cubs rotation?

"Dempster would battle Jason Marquis and Sean Marshall for one of the final two spots in the Cubs' rotation."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

[Oxilon]

If I were the Reds I would have thrown him a 1yr/$6MM guaranteed with incentives. I know that may be a risk considering his past injury problems, but I have one of those feelings that he's going to dominate coming out of the pen.
However, reading the article, it sounds like he would have even turned that down since he seemed pretty content on staying with the Cubs.