The Kerry Wood Signing

This off season has been almost exactly what I thought it was going to be like for the Tribe: making one key signing, a trade or two, and then nothing else. It is hard to be active in the off season when the GM has such a small budget to work with. You have to give Shapiro credit he is doing the best he can with very little resources, he has crafted a team that can win now, who knows whether or not they will.

Now onto the off season move.

The Kerry Wood signing

I really like this move for the Tribe. When I look back on the 2008 season the tribe had to major issues: closing out games, and scoring runs. The signing of Kerry Wood gives the Tribe a legitimate closer with the poise and stuff that we have needed in Cleveland for a long time.

The Starting pitchers will also feel more comfortable knowing that they have a closer and now overall a stronger pen to take over for them. It takes some pressure off the offense as well they don't have to score as many runs to ensure the that the game is in hand.

Why are you so high on this guys stuff you might ask?

Well let's see here he did strike out 24 batters in one game once. If you don't get the magnitude of that there are only 27 outs to get. So he so 24 of 27 outs were through strike outs....That's insane. His stuff can be down right dirty.

Let's look at some of his career stats.

• 3.65 ERA
  
• 1.25 WHIP
• .215 BAA
• 10.4 K's/9IP

Those were mostly accumulated as a starter now look at his stats as a closer:

• 3.26 ERA
• 1.09 WHIP
• .219 BAA
• 11.5 K's/9IP

Those numbers really do translate well into being closer. Players don't get to base often and they don't make it around to score even less. Exactly what you want in a closer. Plus is his stuff is damn near terrifying. All things that are needed in closer.

I don't know how you feel about the Wood signing but I am definitely buying a Kerry Wood jersey. Hey I need some pitcher to root for now that CC is raking in the dough.