Still unsigned going into camp, Kerry Wood insists he has no clue as to what’s going on between the Cubs and his agents, Alan and Randy Hendricks.
“That’s their job and I really don’t worry about it,” said the 1998 National League rookie of the year. “They inform me of what’s going on, and I listen.”
Wood likely won’t receive a multimillion-dollar long-term deal–as Nomar Garciaparra and Scott Rolen did after their Rookie of the Year seasons in 1997–and will have to settle for a one-year deal. Wood has no leverage because he’s a second-year player and two seasons away from being eligible for arbitration.
The Cubs can give him any raise they think is fair and renew his contract if the two sides fail to come to an agreement. Whether the Cubs would risk ticking off their franchise pitcher is another matter.
Rocket-free: The addition of Roger Clemens would have made the Astros prohibitive favorites in the Central Division, but Houston wouldn’t part with right-hander Scott Elarton, so Clemens wound up a Yankee.
Another stroke of luck for a luckless franchise.
“I’m glad he’s not over there in Houston,” Rod Beck said. “But we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do and not worry about them. Obviously, if they have him, then you can pencil in a few more victories for them and it would make them that much tougher. Sure I’m glad, but I’m not overly excited.
“They still have a nice little staff going and they have a (great) lineup, especially with Ken Caminiti. Cincinnati upgraded extensively. Their pitching staff looks pretty awesome. St. Louis could be tough. So I don’t think the National League Central is as weak as it was in the past. There’s three or four teams that could win this division.”
Filling the gap: With Terry Mulholland moving back into the rotation, the Cubs’ middle-relief corps is even more iffy than in ’98. In 47 relief outings after June 1, Mulholland compiled a 2.28 earned-run average and saved the bullpen from imploding. But Mulholland also fared well as a starter, going 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in six starts, and would not have returned to the team if he wasn’t given a chance to start again.
Though the Cubs heeded his request, General Manager Ed Lynch failed to fill the lefty vacancy with a quality free agent. That means the job may fall to 22-year-old Felix Heredia, who was ineffective after being acquired from Florida last July in the Kevin Orie trade. If Heredia fails, the Cubs may turn to journeyman lefty Doug Creek, who went 9-5 with a 2.94 ERA in Japan last year.
Last hurrahs? Soon-to-be free agents Steve Trachsel and Kevin Tapani may be in their final seasons with the Cubs, who appear willing to let them go to promote such prospects as Kyle Farnsworth and Phil Norton. Neither Trachsel nor Tapani has been offered multiyear deals to stick around.
Trachsel asked the Cubs for a three-year, $10 million deal before spring training of ’98, but was rejected. After receiving $5.15 million recently to avoid arbitration, Trachsel has now earned $8.14 million in the last two years and at 28 will likely be seeking a five-year deal for $50 million or more.
Tapani went 19-9 last season to tie for second in NL victories and has a .700 winning percentage (28-12) with the Cubs since coming back from hand surgery in 1997. Tapani, 35, won’t be seeking a long-term deal, but will likely command a significant raise from his $3.5 million salary.
