It’s Alex Wood’s 29th birthday today. The Dodgers gave him a nice birthday gift by signing him to a one-year 4 million dollar contract. The deal is a major league contract giving Wood the chance to earn up to 10 million dollars in incentives according to Ken Rosenthal.
Wood returns to the Dodgers for his second stint after spending an injury-riddled 2019 season with the Reds. The Dodgers dealt him to the Reds along with Yasiel Puig, Kyle Farmer and Matt Kemp in that controversial swap. It was only two years ago that Wood posted a 16-3 record and a 2.72 ERA, earning him an all-star selection and finishing ninth in the National League Cy Young voting. He was effective when healthy in 2018, but made 27 starts and saw his ERA rise to 3.68.
Alex Wood’s deal with the #Dodgers is for one year, $4M, with incentives that can push his total to $10M, source says. Physical is complete. Deal is done.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 13, 2020
Overall Wood has been a solid pitcher throughout his career, but has struggled to stay on the mound. The reunion is a strange one in my opinion. I’ve always liked Wood, but the timing seems weird after the Dodgers recently inked Jimmy Nelson. One would think that Wood will be given an opportunity if healthy to earn a spot in the Dodger’s rotation if he has a good showing in spring training.
Who else saw this coming? And Scott thought the Dodgers weren’t going all-in this year! He doesn’t look much like Gerritt Cole, but hey, pitchers are pretty much fungible right?
Well, another wounded duck to add to the Dodger pitching staff. Cannot believe they gave him $4M (Maybe $11M) and then squabble over pocket change for poor Max. Max more than proved he was no fluke, yet the Dodgers chose to pinch pennies with his contract , and rain millions on lame ducks.
And, how about those cheaters? Dodgers ripped off two years in a row by Bosox and Ass-tros. MLB better do the right thing… heads better roll…. but you know that is highly unlikely. MLB got their money, too.
So goes the Dodger Blews. Get ready for Chapter 8 in this sad story of the NL West Chumps…. Whoops, I mean Champs. A team that can draw in the fans in record numbers, yet fail to reward their fans by reaching the ultimate goal, year after frickin’ year.
I’m shocked that BlueFan not only is unimpressed with the Wood signings (I’m not overly impressed TBH) but that he’s also returning to greed as a prime evil in Baseball!
Shocking stuff.
Bluto,
This issue here, is not greed, it it stupidity. If it was greed, the Dodgers would not be throwing millions to a washed up pitchers and players.
It is stupidity, to ignore Muncy’s contributions to this team’s success, and at the same time, reward a bunch of overachievers for having so-so seasons.
Greed will be evident when you see the new prices for tixs, parking, hot dogs, and beers.
Penalty against the Stros for cheating is the loss of their 1&2 draft picks the next 2 years, a 5 million dollar fine, and Hinch and the owner are suspended for 1 year. Pretty mild considering the offense. Cora is said to be facing some stiff penalty’s himself since he was a part of both cheating scandals. They should vacate the title’s for both teams. I am not saying award them to the Dodgers, just vacate the titles like they do to college teams who use ineligible players. As for Wood, low risk, high reward. He has a lot of incentives to reach to get to 10 million. Only if he is healthy and contributing will he even come close to doing that. If he is healthy, remember this guy was an all star and a solid contributor just a couple of years ago. He is still young, 29, and if healthy, he has proved himself both out of the pen, and as a starter. Here is one thing though, who gets DFA’d? The roster was at 40 when he was signed. Someone has to go.
Well, just a mere slap on the fanny, for AJ Hinch, GM, and the Astros Team. The Team does not need draft picks, they just buy their players, and still have the money to do it. The Team and Players still have there rings, and no penalties or fines. Just what I expected. MLB has no balls, because at the end of all the investigations, MLB, like the players, still have their profits stashed away, just as they profited from the steroid era too. Cora will probably end up being the sole fall guy for the entire cheating scam…. a small price to pay, for such a big dollar scandal. No justice.
I concur, Michael about what ya said about what the penalties should have been…as I said earlier on another blog:
While I am glad to just read that both Hinch and GM Luhnow have been fired, i would have vacated the Astro’s WS title and made 2017 null and void of any winner. To me the punishment was not steep enough.
I am OK with Wood returning. after Dodgers missed out on most others that were on the market, I kind of had an idea that Alex Wood might be returning.
Luhnow and Hinch both fired, but that does not hurt the Stros that much. Loss of 4 draft picks does not really hurt them much either. Luhnow unloaded on the team yesterday. Hinch will just quietly go away for a while. Not doubt that after this year he will get another job somewhere. Luhnow is basically finished in baseball. Cora awaiting what no doubt will at least be a strong suspension. Most likely, the Red Sox are going to be forced to rid themselves of him. Twitter nuts are calling Dodger fans baby’s because a few are saying that the title’s should be awarded to the Dodgers. Vacating them is enough for me. I do not think either team should profit from the wins. All merchandise bearing the World Champion logo should be pulled from the market, and any profits made from said merchandise be given to charity. Baseball would at least gain a little good will that way. Rockies and Cardinals discussing and Arenado trade. So far, no progress.
Seems players get away, “Scott Free”, and can still wear that ring. IMO, the titles (Bosox’ too) should be stripped, and vacated. No need to award the Dodgers the title. All players should also have to forfeit all salary earned that year, less MLB minimum (and that is being generous). Any players, or coaches who masterminded the scam should be banned from baseball (but as with Steroid Era, this will probably not happen, and players will get away with it. Steroid Era players still hold records in the MLB record books, so it just proves that MLB condones cheating).
As far as owners are concerned, they should be fined way more than just a mere $5M (some teams pay that much for tired armed pitchers, or washed up CF’ers). IMO, the owners should be banned from baseball, and forced to relinquish their franchise rights.
I agree, Hinch will just hide out, and some idiot owner will hire him after the dust settles.
Baseball history is littered with scoundrels. Everyone involved in this will work in baseball again.
Unfortunately true, Badger. Problem all stems from MLB being too soft on violators….. don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them,
BlueFan,
You must be itching to see the player’s union go on strike.
It appears that the Rockies & Cardinals are getting closer to a trade. From what I’ve heard the Cards want either Carpenter or Fowler included in the deal.
If the players were smart, and most of them are, they would go along with any punishment that gets cheaters out of the game. One former player who is going to get off scott free is Carlos Beltran. According to all reports Beltran has been co-operating with MLB during the investigation. I doubt the players union will go on strike again. Reason is simple, with what those guys make today they would be cutting their own throats financially. No doubt whatever disagreements management and the MLBPA has will be ironed out before the next CBA is signed. The new electronic strike zone, getting the DH in the NL and some other changes will no doubt be enacted when the new CBA is approved.
Beltran should be suspended too.