Cubs decline to offer Wood salary arbitration

The door isn't completely shut on Kerry Wood returning to the Cubs, but it moved closer to being slammed Monday when the Cubs declined to offer salary arbitration to Wood.

Although the 31-year-old free agent technically may negotiate with the Cubs, one door to an automatic return is closed.

If the Cubs had offered Wood arbitration and he accepted, he by rule would have returned to the Cubs for at least one more year, with his salary to be negotiated or decided by an arbitrator in February.

The downside for the Cubs is that they will get no draft picks as compensation for Wood if he signs with another team.

The Cubs declined to offer salary arbitration to any of their free agents, including reliever Bob Howry. Like Wood, Howry is a Type A free agent who would have brought the Cubs draft-pick compensation by signing with another team.

The other free agents not offered arbitration are center fielder Jim Edmonds, catcher Henry Blanco, pinch hitter Daryle Ward and pitchers Jon Lieber and Chad Fox.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was traveling Monday. Wood's agent, Pat Rooney, did not immediately respond to a message left for him at his office.

Hendry all but bade farewell to Wood last month when he traded minor-league prospect Jose Ceda to the Florida Marlins for reliever Kevin Gregg. At the time, Hendry said Wood deserved the chance to get a multiyear deal on the open market. Such a deal was something the Cubs apparently are not willing or able to offer Wood.

Wood, who made a base salary of $4.2 million in 2008, saved 34 games in 40 chances after rehabbing from a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. After coming up with the Cubs in 1998 and winning the Rookie of the Year award, Wood spent virtually his entire career as a starting pitching, battling injuries much of the time.

The Cubs are up against budget constraints after two years of unprecedented spending. One factor is the ongoing sale of the club, which has been on the market since Opening Day 2007.

Hendry still must decide to offer contracts to such players as Gregg, center fielder Reed Johnson and relievers Chad Gaudin and Neal Cotts. All figure into the Cubs' plans for 2009, and their contracts will add up.

If Wood had accepted arbitration, he would have been in line for a huge raise, perhaps doubling his 2007 salary and putting Hendry in a fix when it came to players such as Gregg, Johnson, Gaudin and Cotts, whose contracts are up but who do not have enough service time for free agency.

As it is, Hendry still needs to add a quality left-handed hitter, and he still has interest in trading for Padres pitcher Jake Peavy, who has an expensive long-term contract.

With all of that in mind, Hendry apparently feels Wood is the one piece the Cubs can afford to lose.