Bruce on WSCR - Cubs may let Wood go and close with Marmol

[David]

Apparently Woody is looking for a 3 year deal, and the Cubs, having concerns about his long term health, are reluctant to give it to him.

 

 

It would suck to lose our best reliever (Marmol) to the overrated closer role. That's probably my biggest problem with this.

[UMFan83]

That sucks.

 

Our bullpen would be horrible. And I'd miss Woody

[inari]

Honestly, as much as I love Woody, I have no interest in overpaying him. The pen will be fine.

[Clem Fandango]

Honestly, as much as I love Woody, I have no interest in overpaying him. The pen will be fine.

 

I agree, but I really really really don't want to see Wood go. Even though he's been injured 75% of his 10 year career on the Cubs it seems, he's arguably still the face of this franchise. I'd hate to see it on another team, particularly in the NL. Even more particularly in the Central

[SweetZombieJesus]

That sucks.

 

Our bullpen would be horrible. And I'd miss Woody

 

No it wouldn't Mike Wuertz-Murton to save the day. He's so good.

[Guest]

Honestly, as much as I love Woody, I have no interest in overpaying him. The pen will be fine.

 

The pen will be fine? You're taking Marmol out of the most valuable role for the team and you're losing Wood. Who'd be the primary set up man? The highly inconsistent Samardzija? Bring back Bob Howry?

 

I wish they were more worried when they were giving Soriano 8 year contracts.

[anabiono]

why can't it be dempster instead!?

 

:-#

[Post Count Padder]

I know there are decent internal options, but I don't wanna see Wood go. They should see if he'll take a 2 year deal. Howry will be off the books.

[Guest]

why can't it be dempster instead!?

 

:-#

 

Yeah, I'd rather part with Dempster than Wood.

[anabiono]

why can't it be dempster instead!?

 

:-#

 

Yeah, I'd rather part with Dempster than Wood.

 

actually, i really don't mind wood leaving, but dempster having about a 98% chance of staying is the big problem with me...

 

i love the guy, i really do, but good god damn he is NOT going to pitch like that again next year...it will be like having marquis 2.0

[wade]

What if choosing not to go multi-year with Wood meant going multi-year with someone like Fuentes from Colorado? Losing Wood doesn't have to mean going with Wuertz instead.

[nilodnayr]

Honestly, as much as I love Woody, I have no interest in overpaying him. The pen will be fine.

 

The pen will be fine? You're taking Marmol out of the most valuable role for the team and you're losing Wood. Who'd be the primary set up man? The highly inconsistent Samardzija? Bring back Bob Howry?

 

I wish they were more worried when they were giving Soriano 8 year contracts.

 

My thoughts are that we need a guy. Without Wood, we still need a guy to be at the back end of our bullpen. Regardless of whether you are deploying Marmol as the closer or using him in higher leverage situations that aren't the nineth, the bullpen, without Wood is down one good arm. Now, I think the issue is that the Cubs are concerned as to whether or not Wood is that guy. This is most certainly a defensible position. Wood is a guy a year ago that nearly quit because his shoulder was so screwed up. Then one day, miraculously, it was better. With no rhyme or reason his shoulder didn't hurt anymore. You have to take the position that anything you got from Wood this year was gravy. Hes pitching on borrowed time. Just as easily as his shoulder miraculously one day went from terrible to functional, the opposite can happen. We are fortunate that it didn't happen this year and of course, the more time Wood puts the bum shoulder behind him, the more we can put creedence into the idea that he's healed, but the fact remains that he is one very normal bullpen pitch away from being done and those chances are one thousand fold more for Wood than the average pitcher.

 

Conversely, it all depends on years and money. If Wood is willing to take a discount (which I contended he DID NOT do last offseason), then maybe that risk will be worth it. Additionally, you need to look at who his possible replacements could be and how much they would cost to see if the risk is worth it. Those will ultimately be the questions the cubs will have to ask themselves.

[ChiCubsFan]

Honestly, as much as I love Woody, I have no interest in overpaying him. The pen will be fine.

 

The pen will be fine? You're taking Marmol out of the most valuable role for the team and you're losing Wood. Who'd be the primary set up man? The highly inconsistent Samardzija? Bring back Bob Howry?

 

I wish they were more worried when they were giving Soriano 8 year contracts.

 

My thoughts are that we need a guy. Without Wood, we still need a guy to be at the back end of our bullpen. Regardless of whether you are deploying Marmol as the closer or using him in higher leverage situations that aren't the nineth, the bullpen, without Wood is down one good arm. Now, I think the issue is that the Cubs are concerned as to whether or not Wood is that guy. This is most certainly a defensible position. Wood is a guy a year ago that nearly quit because his shoulder was so screwed up. Then one day, miraculously, it was better. With no rhyme or reason his shoulder didn't hurt anymore. You have to take the position that anything you got from Wood this year was gravy. Hes pitching on borrowed time. Just as easily as his shoulder miraculously one day went from terrible to functional, the opposite can happen. We are fortunate that it didn't happen this year and of course, the more time Wood puts the bum shoulder behind him, the more we can put creedence into the idea that he's healed, but the fact remains that he is one very normal bullpen pitch away from being done and those chances are one thousand fold more for Wood than the average pitcher.

 

Conversely, it all depends on years and money. If Wood is willing to take a discount (which I contended he DID NOT do last offseason), then maybe that risk will be worth it. Additionally, you need to look at who his possible replacements could be and how much they would cost to see if the risk is worth it. Those will ultimately be the questions the cubs will have to ask themselves.

 

I wish I didn't like Woody so much. Then I would just say get rid of him and sign a Juan Cruz type reliever or two for much less.

[Backtobanks]

why can't it be dempster instead!?

 

:-#

 

Yeah, I'd rather part with Dempster than Wood.

 

It's easier to replace a bullpen arm than a starter. Also, I don't understand all of the posters who think Dempster's year was a fluke. It's not a guarantee that he will be as effective in 2009 as he was in 2008, but he was our most consistent starter last year. Dempster was a highly regarded prospect as a starter before becoming a reliever.

[jersey cubs fan]

why can't it be dempster instead!?

 

:-#

 

Yeah, I'd rather part with Dempster than Wood.

 

It's easier to replace a bullpen arm than a starter. Also, I don't understand all of the posters who think Dempster's year was a fluke. It's not a guarantee that he will be as effective in 2009 as he was in 2008, but he was our most consistent starter last year. Dempster was a highly regarded prospect as a starter before becoming a reliever.

 

He wasn't a prospect, he was a starting major league pitcher that wasn't good.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Letting Wood go isn't a bad move in and of itself, you free up some money, get a draft pick or two. The moves that follow define how good an idea it was. If you let Wood go and then give out another Howry/Eyre contract to replace him with Scott Linebrink, then it's not a good idea. If you use the same money you would've used on Wood and bring in Fuentes, then it's fine(the disparity in picks may be worth the upgrade in health/left handedness). If you use some of that money on say, Juan Cruz, and the rest as part of a larger plan(Trading Lee and signing Teixeira for example), then it's a pretty good idea.

[YearofDaCubs]

I don't know. 3 years to Wood is sketchy.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't know. 3 years to Wood is sketchy.

 

Yeah, it would be very reasonable to refuse to offer that much. I'd think about a 2 year with a vesting option based on appearances in 2010 though.

[Tracer Bullet]

I don't know. 3 years to Wood is sketchy.

 

Yeah, it would be very reasonable to refuse to offer that much. I'd think about a 2 year with a vesting option based on appearances in 2010 though.

 

Maybe. With our payroll, I'd go 3 years depending on the dollars.

[rawaction]

One of the hardest decisions is what to do with Wood if he's not signing a team-friendly contract. He may be the only player in my lifetime that it would be truly sad to see leave. Guys like Sosa, Grace, Maddux part deux, Sutcliffe, all ruined their nostalgia by age, suckiness, or their mouths.

 

I'd lean toward signing Wood for that 3rd year, provided the contract is no more than about $20Mil total. If it's more than that per year, I'd look elsewhere. The Fuentes/Cruz combo is a very attractive alternative, that wouldn't cost much more than just Wood alone.

[RammyFanny]

Honestly, as much as I love Woody, I have no interest in overpaying him. The pen will be fine.

 

The pen will be fine? You're taking Marmol out of the most valuable role for the team and you're losing Wood. Who'd be the primary set up man? The highly inconsistent Samardzija? Bring back Bob Howry?

 

I wish they were more worried when they were giving Soriano 8 year contracts.

Gaudin?

[Sammy Sofa]

i love the guy, i really do, but good god damn he is NOT going to pitch like that again next year...it will be like having marquis 2.0

 

Ridiculous.

 

Dempster will almost certainly regress from his 2008 numbers, but to declare he'll be another Marquis is a pretty bold and, frankly, absurd statement. It's not like his 2008 was stretched out due to fluke or luck wih him being saved by the defense and such...he kept his walks and home runs way down. His overall numbers over the season are, by and large, excellent. Marquis never had a season like this. The gulf between what you can expect from Marquis and what Dempster did in 2008 is huge.

[sneakypower]

let Woody and Demp both go

 

pickspickspicks!

cruzcruzcruz!

[anabiono]

i love the guy, i really do, but good god damn he is NOT going to pitch like that again next year...it will be like having marquis 2.0

 

Ridiculous.

 

Dempster will almost certainly regress from his 2008 numbers, but to declare he'll be another Marquis is a pretty bold and, frankly, absurd statement. It's not like his 2008 was stretched out due to fluke or luck wih him being saved by the defense and such...he kept his walks and home runs way down. His overall numbers over the season are, by and large, excellent. Marquis never had a season like this. The gulf between what you can expect from Marquis and what Dempster did in 2008 is huge.

 

i will gladly eat crow or what have you, but i don't think that will be happening

[JeffH]

Which Bruce?

 

Good Bruce or Dumb Bruce?