Reader Opinion: The Case For Kerry Wood
The rumor mill never stops churning, and it has churned up an interesting bit in connection with the Phillies — Kerry Wood.
Possible? Let’s take a look.
First, the Phils don’t have to sign anyone; they may just be kicking the tires. If the asking price is not palatable for Ruben Amaro, the Phillies can opt to keep the bullpen as is. Should Amaro decide that Wood is the last piece to the Phillies bullpen puzzle, what would he bring to the club? Wood appeared in 55 games for the Cubs last season pitching 51.0 innings. As a reliever for the last four seasons, Wood has compiled a total Wins Above Replacement of 3.3 or 0.83 WAR per season. In comparison, Octavio Dotel achieved only a 2.4 total WAR over his last four seasons, which equates to just 0.6 WAR per season. Dotel recently signed a one-year deal with the Tigers worth approximately $3 million.
Wood provides more value than other relief pitchers, but does he contribute anything else? Over his last four seasons Wood has averaged 10.34 strikeouts per nine innings. This ranks him almost even with Washington Nationals star reliever and strikeout specialist Tyler Clippard. The most important goal for bullpen pitchers, especially those pitching in the last three innings of a game, is to strike hitters out. In addition, according to Fangraphs.com, Wood has been above average in left-on-base percentage. Not only does Wood strike out hitters he faces, he keeps inherited runners from crossing the plate.
Were the Phillies to sign Wood, he would most likely replace Jose Contreras as the eighth inning right-hander. Contreras was sidelined with injuries for most of the 2011 season and following arm surgery it remains unknown whether he can still pitch effectively. Wood’s power fastball and sharp biting slider can give right-handed hitters fits, but can be susceptible to lefties with power. Wood’s hard breaking ball can lead to wild pitches. Over his last 3 seasons, Wood has averaged five wild pitches per season. With sure-handed backstop Carlos Ruiz behind the plate, wild pitches would most likely not be an issue for him.
Wood, who came up through the Chicago Cubs organization, has pitched for the Cubs in 11 of his 13 seasons. If his price tag remains below $3 million for one season, it would make the most sense to see him return to the north side of Chi-town, but if he wants to pitch for a contender with deeper pockets, the Phillies could become his final destination. Whether Ruben Amaro will aggressively pursue Wood remains to be seen, but the righty’s numbers show he would be a solid addition to the Phillies 2012 bullpen. On the other hand, if Amaro has another move he wishes to make, he would not hesitate, nor should he, to ignore signing Wood and instead utilize the money to improve the team elsewhere.
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