9:38pm: A potential deal between Wood and the Cubs is "far from done," a source tells ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). Wood is in talks with "multiple teams" about a 2012 contract.
12:29pm: The Cubs and free agent reliever Kerry Wood are making progress on a one-year, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets. The Cubs and the SFX client have not completed a deal, however.
President of baseball operations Theo Epstein recently said he'd be greatly disappointed if the Cubs don't re-sign Wood. The right-hander signed a below-market $1.5MM deal last offseason but is said to want a market value deal this winter. Wood posted a 3.35 ERA with 10.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 35.8% ground ball rate in 51 innings for the Cubs in 2011. He's 34, but remains a flamethrower; his average fastball checked in at 94.4 mph last year.
kerry wood’s last hurrah?
Let’s see how long it takes Theo to trade him after re-signing.
Never happen. Wood had said repeatedly that he’s either a Cub in 2012, or he retires.
if there’s not a no trade clause it definitely a possibility. pretty good midseason pickup for a contender.
Wouldn’t he have 10/5 rights by now?Â
I believe it needs to be 10 years in MLB, but 5 in a row with the same team. Wood was with the Indians & Yankees before this latest stint with the Cubs
1 yr 3M with infinite players options…let him play until he doesn’t want to anymore..come on Theo make it happen
After taking the team-friendliest deal the Cubs have ever had, he deserves a significant raise. $4 million should be about right with another $1 million with incentives.
Andre Dawson’s blank check signing was the “team-friendliest” deal the Cubs have ever had.
I stand corrected.
All right, second team-friendliest deal the Cubs have ever had.
Didnt Mark Grace sign a one year 1.5 mil deal?
Did you account for inflation? Comes about the same.
Aaaand score another one for the Epstein connection with the Rizzo trade from Padres to Cubs, Padres GM Byrnes giving thanks to Hoyer for allowing him to become a GM; Byrnes and Jed Hoyer both worked with Epstein with the Bosox (Rizzo was traded from Boston to Padres when Hoyer gave Epstein, his former boss, Adrián G.).
What a travesty those trades are, benefiting just one side always: Epstein. A few years back there was a significant trade also, with the sox giving mediocre player Mirabelli to Padres in exchange of Loretta, then there was also the trade of Dave Roberts, who was injuried, in exchange for the three players the sox needed (a pitcher, an OF and a SS), but back then it was still part of the connection of the boston redsox minority owner who used to work for the Padres and whom along with Henry helped current owner to get the Padres.
Wouldn’t it be the Cubs that owe the Padres for Hoyer? Not sure how that move furthers your conspiracy theory when the Padres got hosed.
How did the Padres get hosed? They got Cashner in the deal who easily could become their Ace.
Wood is good 🙂
Theo is smart, and Wood is good so this is a know brainer. The Cubs will have a good pen and enough veterans to make a smooth transition for the young players. Starting pitching Dempster, Garza, Wells, Nolasco, and Lopez, relief Marmol, Wood, Wood, and Grabow.
They don’t have Nolasco, they don’t have Lopez, Travis Wood is a starter, and they don’t have Grabow. And saying Grabow is good is hilarious.
you should go look at the Cubs website and look at the team. alot has changed this of season.
$5Mil seems right.Â
I hope Wood becomes their pitching coach after he retires they could actually have a guy that knows what he’s doing and talking about. I know Rothschild is gone but that guy is the worst pitching coach of all time I was shocked as everyone else when the Yankees of all teams signed him last year.
Probably just using those other teams as leverage unless he’s changed his two season old.
i wonder what happened to the “signing with chicago or retiring” stance. Â either way, i think he has a future in the organization beyond the playing days. Â
That was just what I was thinking.
I know it’s been said retirement or the cubs. But I’d love to see Wood back with the Yankees. Maybe Cashman could pull a Theo and dump Soriano and pay most of the salary, and spare a few bucks for Wood. He sure handled NY alot better than Soriano.
basicaly theo and/or hoyer is low balling wood, so now hes saying that he is looking at other teams to make them bring up the price.
Guys just offer him 6mil or  a contract with alot of incentive’s. just get him signed. hell offer him a two year deal worth about 14-16 mil.
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Cmon Kerry’s a great reliever and you have to have at least a couple veteran leaders on the team to go along with all the new kids. There’s no way he’s asking for 6 million, 4 or 5 is definitely worth it.