It has been a very interesting day for the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. After the Cubs and Marlins swapped Kevin Gregg for Jose Ceda, general manager Jim Hendry came out and said that the Cubs would not be re-signing Kerry Wood.
Wood is looking for a three to four year deal and Hendry said the Cubs just couldn’t give him that long of a contract the amount of money that he deserves. “We’re just in a situation — and Kerry fully understands — that length of deal for the kind of salary that he could command right now is not our first priority,” Hendry said during a conference call.
“We felt it was time Kerry goes out and does what is best for him and his family and get a huge multiyear deal, if possible,” Hendry said. “This is really the right thing to do. We’ve had some really honest conversations in the last week. We don’t have to get into how much I think of him, but at the same time I don’t think we could do for him right now what he deserves and what I think he’ll get going elsewhere.”
In 10 seasons with the Cubs, Wood compiled a 77-61 record with a 3.65 ERA and 1,407 strikeouts in 276 games. It will be a sore eye at Wrigley Field when you don’t see Kerry Wood in a Cubs uniform. Let’s just hope he signs with an American League team and gets the contract that he wants.
Everyone has been thinking the Cubs next deal would hopefully be a deal for Jake Peavy but Jim Hendry and company suprised us on Thursday as he traded for relief pitcher Kevin Gregg. The Cubs will be sending the Florida Marlins relief pitcher Jose Ceda in return.
Cubs fans so far aren’t liking this trade one bit as Gregg blew quite a few saves last season and is also injury prone which the Cubs have enough problems with. They gave up a young pitcher who was actually ranked number four in the teams rankings by Baseball America.
Sounds like the Marlins traded away a player they didn’t want to pay and got another nice young player that is cheap. I think the Cubs came out on the short end of this trade but it all depends what role Gregg will be playing. A lot of that will depend on if Kerry Wood is resigned.
The Chicago Cubs got another reward for their good play in the 2008 regular season as manager Lou Piniella was named the 2008 National League Manager of the Year on Wednesday. This was the third time that Piniella has won the award as he also won it in 1995 and 2001.
Piniella got 15 of 32 first-place votes and totaled 103 points compared to the 67 points that Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies received. He also received $100,000 for winning the award and he said that he will be donating all of it to the team’s charity partner, McCormick Foundation’s Cubs Care.
There is more news out of Chicago about Ryan Dempster and Jake Peavy on Tuesday morning. Sources from the Chicago Tribune are saying that the Cubs have offered free agent pitcher Ryan Dempster a four year contract worth $50 million dollars. Now Dempster will have to decide if he wants to stay in Chicago or earn probably $10-$15 million more with another team and play the free agent market.
The new word about Jake Peavy and the trade is that the Cubs are trying to get a third team involved that would send some young pitching over to the Padres. The Padres aren’t liking the players the Cubs are trying to trade to them and are now working a new deal around Josh Vitters. I don’t want to include Vitters in a deal but if it happens it happens because the Cubs want to win now. If Vitters is holding the trade back, I say go ahead and do it because who knows how he will turn out in 3-4 years.
What is everyone’s opinions on the Dempster contract offer and the Peavy trade rumors?
