Looking Like Cubs, Wood To Part Ways Again

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jan 11, 2012 4:40PM

Always a fan favorite, Cubs fans are still wondering if they'll see Kerry Wood at this weekend's Cubs Convention. Whether he'll return to the North Side for another season or not remains up in the air.

On Monday night, it appeared that Wood's second tour of duty with the Cubbies was all but over according to CNSChicago.com's David Kaplan. With interest from other teams, Wood didn't appear willing to give the Cubs another "hometown" discount. The Cubs brought back the former golden boy in 2011 as a set-up man, where he earned just $1.5 million in order to fit within the team's bloated payroll. Wood wants to be paid fair market value to stay with the Cubs after the team has slashed payroll and entered a rebuilding phase.

A former Cubs first round pick in 1995 and the 1998 Rookie of the Year, Wood battled with injuries that eventually led him from the starting rotation to the bullpen. In 2008, he became the Cubs' closer and saved 34 games. Wood left the Cubs in 2009 to join the Cleveland Indians, and during the 2010 season he was traded to the New York Yankees before choosing to return to Wrigley in 2011.

Wood went 3-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 55 appearances after turning down more money from other clubs to rejoin the Cubs last year. On Tuesday, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer announced that the team had in fact offered Wood a "substantial raise" in the hopes of keeping Wood as their set-up man.

Wood appears to want to remain a Cub, and the fans desperately want Wood to return. Bleed Cubbie Blue's Al Yellon even published an open letter to Hoyer and Theo Epstein pleading for them to come to terms with Wood. So will the two sides work out a deal? And can the two sides do so in time for Cubs fans to welcome one of their favorites back this weekend? If not, Theo's honeymoon could come to a quick conclusion as he faces the Cubs' faithful.