Re: Is K-rod a Much better grab than Wood?
For what it's worth, Keith Law has Wood rated No. 13 and K-Rod No. 16 in his free agent rankings. Here's what he offered on both:
<table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="stathead"><td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold;" align="center" width="20%">13</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%">
Kerry Wood
POSITION: Relief pitcher
AGE: 31 | BATS: R | THROWS: R
2008 TEAM: Chicago Cubs
STATUS: Free agent
<!--TERMS:--> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <table style="background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236);" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="100%"> <tbody><tr class="stathead" align="center"> <td colspan="7" align="center">
2008 SEASON STATISTICS</td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" align="center" bgcolor="#d6d6d6"> <td>GM</td> <td>IP</td> <td>W-L</td> <td>ERA</td> <td>SV</td> <td>BB</td> <td>SO</td> </tr> <tr style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;" align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td>65</td> <td>66.1</td> <td>5-4</td> <td>3.26</td> <td>34</td> <td>18</td> <td>84</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Wood is the best reliever available on the market this winter, even if he didn't set any records. He works primarily with two pitches, a mid-90s four-seamer with good life and a low-80s slider with a very sharp, late break. His control took a huge leap forward in 2008, and he commands both pitches well, changing hitters' eye levels by working up with the fastball and down with the slider. Wood does have his limitations, however. He's been hurt as much as he's been healthy in his career; he missed most of 2006 and 2007 with shoulder trouble, as well as a good chunk of 2005. He is more or less a one-inning pitcher, going more than three outs just five times in all of 2008 and getting at least one day off after each of those outings. However, for a one-inning, shutdown closer, you're not going to do much better than Wood if you can stomach the health risk. </td></tr></tbody></table>
<table class="tablehead widetable" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr class="stathead"><td style="font-size: 50px; font-weight: bold;" align="center" width="20%">16</td> <td class="evenrow" width="80%">
Francisco Rodriguez
POSITION: Closer
AGE: 26 | BATS: R | THROWS: R
2008 TEAM: Los Angeles Angels
STATUS: Free agent
<!--TERMS:--> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <table style="background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236);" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="100%"> <tbody><tr class="stathead" align="center"> <td colspan="7" align="center">
2008 SEASON STATISTICS</td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10px; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" align="center" bgcolor="#d6d6d6"> <td>GM</td> <td>IP</td> <td>W-L</td> <td>ERA</td> <td>SV</td> <td>BB</td> <td>SO</td> </tr> <tr style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;" align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <td>76</td> <td>68.1</td> <td>2-3</td> <td>2.24</td> <td>62</td> <td>34</td> <td>77</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Yes, that's a purty number in the saves column, but it serves to obscure some troubling signs in K-Rod's stuff and peripherals. He's sitting 91-93 mph now with good life, but his once-devastating slider is far less sharp, and he pitches much more off his fastball than he did before, mixing in an average changeup more frequently than he did in the days when he earned the "K" in his nickname. His strikeout rate has been falling with the quality of his pitches, and the average length of his outings has dropped, which might be a sign that he can't be stretched out for two innings if need be; he didn't record more than three outs in any game during the regular season. Among players likely to get contracts of four years or longer, K-Rod probably represents the greatest risk of a flameout. </td></tr></tbody></table>