chaerulez
12-04-2008, 09:34 AM
I heard a few days on the radio that the Cubs aren't going to offer Wood arbitration, which I found very odd because it means they are forfeiting a possible first round draft pick and their farm system isn't good.
So they've already established they don't want Wood back. Although they tried to spin it in saying they are letting him free to pursue better free agent opportunities, and Wood himself said he would have been open to coming back at a discount. With that said, I think the reason they didn't offer him arbitration is they must have thought he'd accept. His base salary in 2008 was $4.2 with arbitration I think he wouldn't have gotten any more than $6 or $6.5. Signing Wood to be your closer again for that figure isn't a bad deal at all, if that's the worst case scenario you live with it, and now you just ended any chance you have of getting a low first round or supplemental pick.
On the flip side, KW did the smart thing and offer OC arbitration. The Sox really don't want him back, and it was assumed OC doesn't want to come back. If OC changes his mind however, it's not really a bad thing. We sign a solid MLB starter to a one year deal at probably around $7 or 8 million. I doubt arbitration would give him the $10 million base salary he had last year or more. My point is, getting these drafts are kind of a big deal as they are pretty high picks and I don't see the logic of declining Wood abritration even if you don't really want him back. I agree with the Cubs that signing Wood to what would be assumed market value in a multi year deal would be foolish. I'm talking about a 3 or 4 year at $10 million per. That would be nonsense. But a 1 year deal at around $6 million? That's pretty good.
I know Wood has been mocked here for his injury problems and well for just being a Cub, but I wonder if he has any interest in sticking it to the Cubs and coming to the Sox for cheap? He can stay in the same city and not have to move and the last month of the season showed our bullpen isn't good outside of Jenks, Thorton and maybe Linebrink. But by cheap I mean around $6 million a year, and I doubt he'll settle for that. But I do know that KW made the right call in his handling of the OC free agent situtation and Hendry blew it on Wood, glad to see we have the better GM in town working for the Sox.
So they've already established they don't want Wood back. Although they tried to spin it in saying they are letting him free to pursue better free agent opportunities, and Wood himself said he would have been open to coming back at a discount. With that said, I think the reason they didn't offer him arbitration is they must have thought he'd accept. His base salary in 2008 was $4.2 with arbitration I think he wouldn't have gotten any more than $6 or $6.5. Signing Wood to be your closer again for that figure isn't a bad deal at all, if that's the worst case scenario you live with it, and now you just ended any chance you have of getting a low first round or supplemental pick.
On the flip side, KW did the smart thing and offer OC arbitration. The Sox really don't want him back, and it was assumed OC doesn't want to come back. If OC changes his mind however, it's not really a bad thing. We sign a solid MLB starter to a one year deal at probably around $7 or 8 million. I doubt arbitration would give him the $10 million base salary he had last year or more. My point is, getting these drafts are kind of a big deal as they are pretty high picks and I don't see the logic of declining Wood abritration even if you don't really want him back. I agree with the Cubs that signing Wood to what would be assumed market value in a multi year deal would be foolish. I'm talking about a 3 or 4 year at $10 million per. That would be nonsense. But a 1 year deal at around $6 million? That's pretty good.
I know Wood has been mocked here for his injury problems and well for just being a Cub, but I wonder if he has any interest in sticking it to the Cubs and coming to the Sox for cheap? He can stay in the same city and not have to move and the last month of the season showed our bullpen isn't good outside of Jenks, Thorton and maybe Linebrink. But by cheap I mean around $6 million a year, and I doubt he'll settle for that. But I do know that KW made the right call in his handling of the OC free agent situtation and Hendry blew it on Wood, glad to see we have the better GM in town working for the Sox.