Wood to CUBS 1 yr 4.2M + 3.45M in performance bonuses

[aracko]

Brewers were in on the bidding for 2 years.

 

www.MLBTRADERUMORS.com

[JoeHova]

I was hoping the Brewers would get him. I'd rather they take a chance

on a guy like Wood than sign a scrub like Linebrink (or similar) for $5

mill per

year. Maybe Gagne or Dotel? They have a little bit of upside at least.

[Fatter than Joey]

Nice -- there is a good example of a player remaining loyal -- It sounds like he spurned multi-year offers

 

Good signing for the Cubs

[aracko]

I would have loved to see Wood in a Brewers uniform. I think he would have had a major role on this team. It makes me wonder if the Cubs promised him a chance to start.

[brewmann04]

Good signing there Cubs keep Wood and Reds get Coco hopefully melvin will not overpay for a guy like Eric or Troy.

Give Bush a shot

[dpapo]

He turned down offers from a few good teams, San Diego, Boston and Milwaukee. So it does look like Wood wanted to stay with the Cubs and maybe also take a one year deal to prove himself, though I'm sure the other teams wouldn't have had a problem offering a one year deal, so it's just probably more the case of wanted to stay with the Cubs. And it's good to hear that at least the Brewers were serious about signing him.

[I Heart Brewers]

He could turn into a very reliable set up guy (if he stays healthy).

[owbc]

Would have been a nice, low-risk move, but knowing the Brewers' luck with injury-prone pitchers, better that he stays in Chicago.

[JohnBriggs12]

Wood stands to make more in the long run by staying in Chicago where he can get off the field money and by signing a one year deal. All he has to do to get a big contract is stay healthy for one year, then he can turn that into a 3-4 year deal.

 

Staying healthy for two straight seasons is a long shot and he knows it.

[JJHardy7]

Are there incentives in this contract?

[MarquesJohnson2000]

The Cubs agreed Monday to a one-year, $4.2 million contract with the free agent pitcher, who had been courted by other teams as a setup pitcher. Wood, the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year, can make an additional $3.45 million in performance bonuses. He had a $1.75 million salary this year.

 

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3128280

[splitterpfj]

Brewers were in on the bidding for 2 years.

 

That's one long negotiation.

[crewcrazy]

The MLBTradeRumors post also mentioned something about Ryan Dempster moving back to the rotation for the Cubs -- does this mean that Wood will take over the 9th inning duties for them now?

[TooLiveBrew]

We'll have to wait for more details on this one, to be sure. My guess (aside from loyalty/comfort) as to why he chose CHC over other options is that the Cubs were the only team that would give him a shot as a SP. I'd bet the other 'serious' offers Wood got were strictly as a RP. Just a hunch.

[monty57]

Either that or:

 

1) The incentives are pretty easily attainable, making this a $7.65MM deal.

 

2) He is guaranteed the closers role. Rack up 44 saves and sign a $46MM contract next year.

 

3) He's following in Mark Grace's role and really likes the Chicago night-life.

[danzig6767]

We'll have to wait for more details on this one, to be sure. My guess (aside from loyalty/comfort) as to why he chose CHC over other options is that the Cubs were the only team that would give him a shot as a SP. I'd bet the other 'serious' offers Wood got were strictly as a RP. Just a hunch.

Melvin said that Wood's wife is from Chicago and he really wanted to stay there. Doug also said a big reason that Wood was strongly considering Milwaukee if a deal fell through with the Cubs was because of how close Milwaukee is to Chicago.

[endaround]

Really should have seen this coming. After all Phil Rogers just wrote:

 

"Kerry Wood seems unlikely to re-sign with the Cubs, who then would pursue a proven reliever to replace him. It's also getting closer to crunch time on Mark Prior, who could be traded or non-tendered if he hasn't agreed to a deal by Dec. 12. The Cubs want him to give them an option for 2009 in addition to a one-year deal for '08, his last season before free agency."

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-071125rogers,1,2858536.column?coll=cs-home-headlines