Report: Phillies among several teams to inquire about Cubs' Wood
After spending $173 million on a pair of pitchers this week, the Chicago Cubs have a number of suitors should they want to trade Travis Wood.
The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly one of several teams that have inquired about the left-hander, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Wood struggled last season after a promising 2013 All-Star campaign and is projected to earn $5.5 million in his second year of salary arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
| Year | Record | IP | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 8-13 | 173.2 | 5.03 | 1.53 |
| 2013 | 9-12 | 200 | 3.11 | 1.14 |
| 2012 | 6-13 | 156 | 4.27 | 1.19 |
"I think Travis knows that he needs to work hard to put this year behind him and get back to being who he was," Cubs president Theo Epstein told Tony Andracki of CSN Chicago in late November regarding Wood's place in the rotation next year. "And if he does that, then he has absolutely nothing to be concerned with."
Recently signed Jon Lester and Jason Hammel are locks for the rotation, as is Jake Arrieta, while Wood will be in competition with Kyle Hendricks, Tsuyoshi Wada and Dan Straily for the final two spots. The volatile Edwin Jackson and Felix Doubront are also options should the Cubs choose to deal Wood.