Kerry Wood Will Likely Use The Phillies As Leverage, But Will He Leave Chicago?
As the Cubs continue to piece together their pitching staff for the 2012 season, the one signing that looked like a sure thing this offseason has yet to happen. Is it a cause for concern?
Recent reports have come out suggesting that the Cubs and Kerry Wood are not close to signing a new deal. The Cubs’ front office has been pretty adamant about the fact that they want Wood back this season, and in the future, but they appear to be having issues agreeing on both years and money.
Wood signing an awfully generous one-year, $1.5 million deal last year, turning down more lucrative offers from teams like the White Sox and Red Sox, which were offering him up to $5 million.
Now Wood wants a deal more near market value. And he said earlier in this offseason that he would either re-sign with the Cubs, or likely retire from baseball.
Yet, rumors are swirling that teams are inquiring on Wood, the main team of which has been the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phils are looking to add to their bullpen, and Wood isn’t a guy that would cost them too much. But it looks as if they’re mainly waiting on the health of Jose Contreras before deciding on whether or not to go all out in pursuing Wood as an addition to their bullpen.
Should Wood consider the joining the Phils, if an offer ends up on the table? Absolutely. He’d have a chance for a World Series title in one of the only towns that has as great a fanbase as they have on the North Side of Chicago. Would he actually consider signing with the Fightins? That remains to be seen.
I keep going back to that statement that Wood would either sign with the Cubs or retire. If he’s still planning on holding to that, he might be more likely to just use other clubs as leverage, rather than actually consider signing with another team. Which is what he would do in any case. But this is a more unique situation.
Wood has said that he will make a decision by the end of this week whether or not and where he will pitch this season. Even if the Cubs aren’t planning on competing for a World Series next year, they already traded Sean Marshall leaving them with a big hole in the late innings. Which gives Wood even more leverage.
Overall, it’s tough to see Wood leaving Chicago, but it would make sense for him to do so. But with Cubs’ brass repeatedly saying that Kerry Wood needs to be a part of the organization now and in the future, and Wood expressing his desire to stay, I can’t see him anywhere but in a Cubs uniform in 2012.
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