Kerry Wood is scheduled to make $11 million next season. Unless the front of the jersey says "Yankees," you don't pay $11 million for a closer, much less one who has never closed a game in his life. He's only made four relief appearances! So give the "Wood for Closer" talk a rest, because it isn't going to happen. Wood's career has taken a very similar path to that of Matt Morris. Both had Tommy John surgery and come back from it. After last season, a very trying one for him, Morris had arthrscopic surgery to clean out his labrum, a surgery Wood is going to have as well. As long as the Cubs are mathematically alive for the wild card, Wood will pitch out of the bullpen. When the Cubs are officially done in 2005, Wood will go under the knife, then start re-habbing. He'll be ready to join the rotation in 2006 with plenty of time to spare. Ryan Dempster has done pretty well in the closer's role thus far, especially considering it's his first season--and not even a full one at that. I'd be willing to give him a multi-year deal with incentives for games closed.