Should Wood become closer in '07?

[redsrbetter]

I just wanted to see what all your opinions were on this. Wood does have the nasty stuff and makeup for a closer. He could be dominate. But is the outtake on this guy still of him being the big game starting pitcher? Some say it would be far better for his arm. Would it be? Is pitching more innings each time out that much worse than pitching nearly every day?

I guess it is different for each arm, but you Cubs fans probably know more about him than most of us. So what should it be?

[ThomasTomasz]

The Cubs should decline Kerry Wood's mutual option, pay the $3 million buyout, instead of dealing with his injuries for another season, and paying him $13.5 million. Let someone else take a chance on him. Its time the Cubs went out and got someone they can depend on, instead of trying to deal with the "potential" of Kerry Wood.

[DirtyKash]

He should sign with the Texas Rangers (hometown team) and could close for them. It'd be a nice match.

[Rufio181]

He'll still get hurt closing out games.

[love_that_reefer]

Wood does not have the control to be a closer and I think Wood is out of options.

[DravenX]

He needs to retire.

[redsrbetter]

So you guys don't get intrigued by watching this guy pitch? You don't think his stuff is all that good? Don't you hope for the best for a guy with talent like this? Or has he put the Cubs in too much a bind because they have put some much time and money into him? Is he a cancer to a team or just a pocketbook?

[Kingdom]

He should become a DH for Kansas City, and pitch every five days.

[brewersfan19]

I say he should, and it will probably be on a another team... Someone will take a chance on him, just because of that P word (POTENTIAL) and his youth...

[ThomasTomasz]

So you guys don't get intrigued by watching this guy pitch? You don't think his stuff is all that good? Don't you hope for the best for a guy with talent like this? Or has he put the Cubs in too much a bind because they have put some much time and money into him? Is he a cancer to a team or just a pocketbook?

I'm very intrigued by Wood, and I always have been. However, the Cubs are just counting on the health of two starting pitchers- Prior and Wood- for their success in the season, and its hard to have a backup plan with two of your top three starters pulling down some serious coin. Right now, he's just a burden. The Cubs would be smarter to buy out his option, and use the $10 million saved on another starter for this upcoming season. Let someone else deal with the headache.

[catman]

Kerry Wood has the mentality to be a closer, IMO. I've seen him pitch a couple of rehab games in Des Moines and his stuff is outstanding.
He could throw about 60 pitches a week without hurting anything at all. As a closer, he could just blow people away and not worry about throwing his breaking stuff at all. Hitters would not be able to gear up for his 95+ fastballs in the 9th inning, considering the movement he gets on them when he is "fresh".

[Looshius]

So you guys don't get intrigued by watching this guy pitch? You don't think his stuff is all that good? Don't you hope for the best for a guy with talent like this? Or has he put the Cubs in too much a bind because they have put some much time and money into him? Is he a cancer to a team or just a pocketbook?

I just think the highpoint of his career has come and past. He has struck out 20 in a game, he has looked unhittable at times, but he is just too injury prone to be effective. I don't know if an arm as shaky as his has what it takes to pitch four or five times a week. He'll probably end up a yankee, because Cashman loves spending entirely too much on guys who have nothing but a bit of past success and a load of "potential" *cough Pavano, Wright, cough*

[brewersfan19]

I agree with you Looshius. What you said makes sense.. I just hope he goes somewhere else though, just hoping he makes another team become better and I firmly believe he wants to play for one of the Texas teams if he had his way...

[nick]

on the matter of whether i think he'll be brought back or not... if i had to guess, they buy him out (obviously) and bring him back on an very incentive-laden deal to close.

dempster has proven to be completely unreliable, and it would save us of having to find a closer through free agency or our farm. the fan interest wood has generated with the cubs is another thing to take into consideration (even though its nowhere near it once was i'm sure).

could it backfire? sure... it probably will. but kerry wood still has a ton of potential, and i've always liked him. if he's back to close, i wouldn't completely mind it. hell, perhaps he'd even pull a john smoltz down the road. but alas thats far off and remains to be seen.

[redsfan28]

Wood had better be in the bullpen somewhere (closer, setup man, etc.) or his arm will continue his downward spiral.