A report is now out from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick that the Phillies are potentially interested in acquiring the talents of one-time starter, now-full-time reliever Kerry Wood in the event Jose Contreras is unable to sufficiently recover from elbow surgery.
Wood, who returned to the Chicago Cubs after bouncing between New York and Cleveland the two seasons [pryor], posted a 3.35 ERA and 1.294 WHIP as he surrendered 19 earned on 45 hits in 51 innings of work in 2011. Those numbers, though not radically impressive, were a welcome return to the mound for the oft-injured pitcher, who missed large chunks of both the 2009 and 2010 seasons on the DL.
So, is this for real?
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CSN's Jim Salisbury seems to think there is certainly an interest from the Phillies, but that Wood's one-year, $4 million asking price might be a little too steep for the front office to swallow.
From RAJ:
“Our payroll is well past where we want to be after signing Jimmy [Rollins] -- that’s a fact,” Amaro said last week. “It’s going to be right around or about where we finished last year. We’re in a dangerous area.”
Thoughts on Kerry Wood? The Phillies' Danger Area? Michael Schwimmer in the eighth?