Cubs cut Wood a one-year deal

01/16/2004 6:32 PM ET

Cubs cut Wood a one-year deal

Both sides still working on long-term contract

By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs signed Kerry Wood to a one-year contract worth $9.75 million on Friday, the highest ever for a Cubs pitcher, with the intent of locking him up in a multi-year deal before the start of Spring Training.

"It's not the usual, 'We'll give you a one-year thing' and then keep tabling the negotiations on a multi-year,'" general manager Jim Hendry said Friday in making the announcement at the Cubs Convention.

"We have a one-year deal in place, but we're working toward a multi-year deal," Hendry said. "We feel confident something will be done by the end of the month."

Wood, 26, made $6.19 million in 2003, which was believed to be the previous high for a Cubs pitcher, and was eligible for arbitration. He is coming off a 14-11 season in which he led the Major Leagues in strikeouts.

"Chicago's been great to me, the fans have been great," Wood said. "I love the stadium, I love the team. More importantly, I love the fact that we did what we did last year and we want to make a habit out of it. I'm not going anywhere. We have a winner here and I'm not going anywhere."

The Cubs are the defending National League Central Division champs but will be challenged this year by the Houston Astros, who added Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens to their pitching staff.

"Houston was a great team before," Wood said. "They made a couple moves to get considerably better. I think we did the same." Kerry Wood / P

Wood liked the additions of first baseman Derrek Lee, infielder Todd Walker, catcher Michael Barrett and relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Kent Mercker to the mix.

"We've made our team better in just about every aspect," Wood said. "Do we expect to be better this year? Obviously."

But what about adding Greg Maddux to the Cubs rotation? The team made an offer to the free agent, but Hendry said Friday he had no update.

"Greg knows about Chicago. He knows what it's like to play here," Wood said of Maddux, who began his pro career with the Cubs. "I'm sure he can imagine what it's like to win here."

"I think every rotation needs a guy like Maddux," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said Friday.

Baker said John Burkett raved about Maddux and the amount of information the right-hander learned when they were together in Atlanta. Burkett even claimed Maddux's tips will help him extend his career, Baker said.

So far, Maddux's former teammates Mike Remlinger and Paul Bako both have called and tried to recruit the right-hander to Chicago.

The Cubs do have all four of their top starters back in Wood, Mark Prior, Matt Clement and Carlos Zambrano. The quartet helped the team advance to the NL Championship Series in 2003 only to lose in seven games to the Florida Marlins. They're hungry for more.

"I think we all got a taste of what it was like last year and we all liked it," Wood said. "I think we want to make a habit of staying here and being in Chicago and playing baseball every October."

The fans certainly have made that clear during Wood's brief appearances at the downtown Hilton Hotel during the convention's opening day.

"I haven't been to a Cubs Convention where they're talking about a World Series," he said. "It's January, there's snow everywhere and people are talking about a World Series here."

Now, the right-hander needs to settle his contract situation. It should be a smooth transaction.

"Woody and I have a very positive relationship," Hendry said. "Assuming he stays healthy, he'll pitch a long time and make a lot of money. He's made it clear he likes what's going on here and he wants to stay and he wants to win."

Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.