Wood Making Good Progress?

[Balsa]

"Cubs GM Jim Hendry said Kerry Wood is progressing after shoulder surgery to such an extent that he expects the righty not only back to pitch next spring, but return to the rotation."

-- New York Post

 

source

 

I'm wondering if this is true, because that would be good news. I'm also wondering if Hendry isn't stretching the truth a bit to make it appear like he can walk away from another starter and that he isn't so desperate for pitching. Regardless, we could hope for nothing more than a healthy Kerry Wood next year.

[barrettismyidol]

Err, I thought the plan all along was for him to go back to the rotation..

[Balsa]

I had thought they were not sure when he might, leading to people thinking that they need another pitcher in the rotation.

[frostwyrm]

I don't care how rosy the reports are, I'd still lay 3 to 1 odds that Kerry finishes 2006 in the bullpen. We need another SP.

[TB_11]

I don't care how rosy the reports are, I'd still lay 3 to 1 odds that Kerry finishes 2006 in the bullpen. We need another SP.

 

I'll say even money that he ends the season on the IR.

[mhuber92211]

We have no need to spend 5-10 million on a SP. We have plenty we just need to stick with them. Spend the money elsewhere (through trades ala the Lee deal) and get moving!

[Garwilly]

I don't care how rosy the reports are, I'd still lay 3 to 1 odds that Kerry finishes 2006 in the bullpen. We need another SP.

 

I'll say even money that he ends the season on the IR.

 

DL.

 

 

Basketball and Football seeping in?

[TB_11]

I don't care how rosy the reports are, I'd still lay 3 to 1 odds that Kerry finishes 2006 in the bullpen. We need another SP.

 

I'll say even money that he ends the season on the IR.

 

DL.

 

 

Basketball and Football seeping in?

 

Ha - you know it.

[CubsWin]

"Cubs GM Jim Hendry said Kerry Wood is progressing after shoulder surgery to such an extent that he expects the righty not only back to pitch next spring, but return to the rotation."

-- New York Post

 

source

 

I'm wondering if this is true, because that would be good news. I'm also wondering if Hendry isn't stretching the truth a bit to make it appear like he can walk away from another starter and that he isn't so desperate for pitching. Regardless, we could hope for nothing more than a healthy Kerry Wood next year.

I'm not saying that this report is false or that Hendry is intentionally spreading lies about how well Kerry Wood is doing in his rehab. But, true or not, this report follows, to the letter, the modus operendi of Jim Hendry.

 

Whenever he has to sign a free agent, he will give an interview in which he talks about how good his in-house options are at that position. He did it earlier this off season when he pumped up Cedeno as a viable option at SS to give the perception of leverage in negotiations with Furcal and Nomar.

 

He is doing it now by saying that it looks certain that Kerry Wood will be back in time to start the season as a part of the Cubs starting rotation so that agents for players like Burnett and Millwood won't think that the Cubs are desperate. Hendry always wants to come from a position of strength when he is negotiating with an agent and this story makes perfect sense.

 

Now it is certainly possible that this story is on the up-and-up and not some sort of deception. But last season, all Hendry told the press was that Sosa wasn't going to be traded and then he was. I believe that Hendry was taking that position publically to try to maximize the offers he was getting for Sosa. And I think he may doing the same thing with this story only this time he is a buyer so he is trying to drive the price down.

[snoodmonger]

There wouldn't be much question about him being ready by ST if they would've just shut him down and done the surgery insteda of putting him in the pen and pretending they were still in the hunt.

[Careless]

There wouldn't be much question about him being ready by ST if they would've just shut him down and done the surgery insteda of putting him in the pen and pretending they were still in the hunt.

shhhh

[JC]

There wouldn't be much question about him being ready by ST if they would've just shut him down and done the surgery insteda of putting him in the pen and pretending they were still in the hunt.

shhhh

 

This is another issue that people want to ignore when showering praise on Hendry and management. Hendry unequivocally said that it wouldn't matter when Kerry went under the knife, that he'd be ready for ST regardless. The fact that its even newsworthy that there are now reports indicateing that he will be ready for ST directly conflict with Hendry's understanding of the nature of Kerry's injury and the surgery to repair it. Its like a freaking Keystone Cop routine.

[CubsWin]

There wouldn't be much question about him being ready by ST if they would've just shut him down and done the surgery insteda of putting him in the pen and pretending they were still in the hunt.

shhhh

 

This is another issue that people want to ignore when showering praise on Hendry and management. Hendry unequivocally said that it wouldn't matter when Kerry went under the knife, that he'd be ready for ST regardless. The fact that its even newsworthy that there are now reports indicateing that he will be ready for ST directly conflict with Hendry's understanding of the nature of Kerry's injury and the surgery to repair it. Its like a freaking Keystone Cop routine.

Not if you apply the theory I outlined a few posts earlier.

 

Its not that its "newsworthy" that he is on track to be ready for the season. Its that Hendry is laying the groundwork via the press to give him a position of strength from which to negotiate with free agents. If the story had been about how the Cubs were desperate for a certain position instead of how their in-house options appear to be good enough or ready to go, then agents would have the Cubs over a barrel.

[Larry Horse]

There wouldn't be much question about him being ready by ST if they would've just shut him down and done the surgery insteda of putting him in the pen and pretending they were still in the hunt.

shhhh

 

This is another issue that people want to ignore when showering praise on Hendry and management. Hendry unequivocally said that it wouldn't matter when Kerry went under the knife, that he'd be ready for ST regardless. The fact that its even newsworthy that there are now reports indicateing that he will be ready for ST directly conflict with Hendry's understanding of the nature of Kerry's injury and the surgery to repair it. Its like a freaking Keystone Cop routine.

Not if you apply the theory I outlined a few posts earlier.

 

Its not that its "newsworthy" that he is on track to be ready for the season. Its that Hendry is laying the groundwork via the press to give him a position of strength from which to negotiate with free agents. If the story had been about how the Cubs were desperate for a certain position instead of how their in-house options appear to be good enough or ready to go, then agents would have the Cubs over a barrel.

 

I don't think Kerry has stayed healthy enough for any agent to put any stock into that.

[CubsWin]

There wouldn't be much question about him being ready by ST if they would've just shut him down and done the surgery insteda of putting him in the pen and pretending they were still in the hunt.

shhhh

 

This is another issue that people want to ignore when showering praise on Hendry and management. Hendry unequivocally said that it wouldn't matter when Kerry went under the knife, that he'd be ready for ST regardless. The fact that its even newsworthy that there are now reports indicateing that he will be ready for ST directly conflict with Hendry's understanding of the nature of Kerry's injury and the surgery to repair it. Its like a freaking Keystone Cop routine.

Not if you apply the theory I outlined a few posts earlier.

 

Its not that its "newsworthy" that he is on track to be ready for the season. Its that Hendry is laying the groundwork via the press to give him a position of strength from which to negotiate with free agents. If the story had been about how the Cubs were desperate for a certain position instead of how their in-house options appear to be good enough or ready to go, then agents would have the Cubs over a barrel.

 

I don't think Kerry has stayed healthy enough for any agent to put any stock into that.

Sure there is. If Hendry is going after someone like Millwood or Burnett, they aren't going to be filling in for Wood if/when he goes down again, they are going to have a rotation spot to themselves. So if Kerry is "expected" to begin the season healthy and apart of the rotation, then they are being signed not to replace him but to join him. That changes everything. Its not like Kerry is guaranteed to miss most of the season. He has averaged just under 160 innings per year.

 

However, this story wouldn't affect Hendry's bargaining position with a free agent pitcher like Rusch, a spot starter/reliever, because of the exact reason you brought up. Wood should still be considered brittle regardless of how healthy is now and someone like Rusch would be signed to take over for him if/when he goes down, not a Millwood or Burnett.

[Illini Iceman]

We have no need to spend 5-10 million on a SP. We have plenty we just need to stick with them. Spend the money elsewhere (through trades ala the Lee deal) and get moving!

 

Agreed - with Prior, Wood, Zambrano, Maddux, Williams, Rusch, Hill, Mitre, Guzman and possibly Pinto the Cubs have enough options for SP.

 

The offense is where the upgrade is required. Hendry needs to find a way to make a deal for a stud RF along the lines Abreu or Dunn because personally I don't think Giles will come here unless the Cubs overpay in dollars and years and that is not Hendry's MO.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

We have no need to spend 5-10 million on a SP. We have plenty we just need to stick with them. Spend the money elsewhere (through trades ala the Lee deal) and get moving!

 

Agreed - with Prior, Wood, Zambrano, Maddux, Williams, Rusch, Hill, Mitre, Guzman and possibly Pinto the Cubs have enough options for SP.

 

The offense is where the upgrade is required. Hendry needs to find a way to make a deal for a stud RF along the lines Abreu or Dunn because personally I don't think Giles will come here unless the Cubs overpay in dollars and years and that is not Hendry's MO.

 

Prior and Z are pretty solid bets to dominate barring a freak injury. Wood will spend significant time on the DL. Maddux will be even worse than in '05. Williams and Rusch play Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Hill doesn't have the major league experience to count on when our rotation is trimmed by injuries and poor performance. Guzman can't stay healthy. Pinto is unproven.

 

We need a reasonably dependable starter, preferably of #3 quality or better. Z, Prior, Maddux, Williams, Rusch isn't a great rotation.