Travis Wood

Travis Alan Wood is an eight-year MLB veteran, who pitched five seasons in a Chicago Cubs uniform.

Before making the jump to the pros, Wood was a decorated high school player, winning the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year award in baseball in both 2004 and 2005. He was an All-State honoree in each of his three seasons on the varsity team at Bryant High School, and he would choose to skip college in favor of playing in the pros after being selected in the second round (60th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2005 MLB Draft.

Though he didn't appear on any top prospect lists, the Reds did add him to their 40-man roster in the 2009 offseason to keep Wood from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Mid-way through the following season, Wood made his MLB debut against the Cubs, pitching to a no-decision on June 30, 2010. In just his third start in the big leagues, Wood nearly threw a perfect game, notching 24 straight outs agains the Phillies before catcher Carlos Ruiz doubled to start the bottom of the ninth inning.

Prior to the start of the 2012 season, the Cubs acquired Wood (and outfielder Dave Sappelt and second baseman Ronald Torreyes) in exchange for lefty reliever Sean Marshall. The trade, completed on Dec. 23, 2011, was one of the first made by Theo Epstein after his takeover of the team's front office after the 2011 season.

In his half-decade in Chicago, Wood was a valuable swingman, making 98 starts and 122 appearances out of the bullpen. He earned his first and only career All-Star selection in 2013, and he concluded that season with a 3.11 ERA in 200.0 innings pitched. However, his best season came in 2016, when he pitched exclusively out of the 'pen, making 77 appearances and pitching to a 2.95 ERA as manager Joe Maddon's preferred LOOGY. Perhaps the best part about Wood is that he wasn't just a reliable pitcher, but also a valuable hitter; in his career, he earned 5.1 WAR for his work on the mound, and 2.0 WAR for his work at the plate and in the field. He had multiple seasons with an OPS above .700, and he hit 11 home runs in the regular season throughout his career.

A few fun facts about Wood's time with the Cubs: on May 19, 2013, Wood became the first Cub since Mordecai Brown to start a season with nine straight quality starts. Also, his famous home run in Game 2 of the NLDS in 2016 against the Giants was just the second time a relief pitcher has hit a home run in the playoffs, after Rosy Ryan in Game 3 of the 1924 World Series. That home run probably stands as his most memorable moment while in a Cubs uniform, but it shouldn't be forgotten that he allowed just two runs in 6 1/3 innings out of the bullpen during the team's march to a title.

Following the high of winning that World Series, Wood signed a two-year deal with the Royals in free agency in 2017, though he would only last half-a-season in Kansas City before getting dealt to the Padres at the trade deadline (in the Trevor Cahill deal). Wood's playing days officially came to an end in spring training prior to the 2018 season, when he tore his ACL while pitching for the Detroit Tigers.