Chicago Cubs’ relief pitcher Kerry Wood received an ovation that President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein will remember for the rest of his life. The Cubs’ officially announced that Wood re-signed with the team on the opening night of the Cubs’ Convention, and the fans in attendance consequently went gorillas in light of the news.
But while the Cubs’ officially announced the signing, the move had yet to been placed in the official transaction record of the Chicago Cubs. Reason being when the Cubs’ signed Wood, their 40 man roster was already maxed out. The delay for a corresponding move led some reporters to speculate. Wood re-signed with the Cubs around the same time that the Matt Garza to the Detroit Tigers rumors were reaching a boiling point. Those rumors have since cooled, and there is a growing belief that Garza will be in line for a long-term extension with the Cubs.
But putting the Garza rumors on the back-burner for the moment, the Cubs have finally made the Wood signing official. On Thursday, the Cubs announced that they have outrighted rehabbing veteran reliever Manny Corpas off the team’s 4o man roster. Corpas still will be a part of the Cubs’ Spring Training roster, as his minor league contract included a invite to Spring Training. However, Corpas is facing an uphill battle with the likes of Chris Carpenter, Marcos Mateo, Andy Sonnanstine, and Jeff Beliveau all vying for a spot in the Cubs’ rotation. After all, the Cubs are rebuilding this season; so Carpenter, Mateo, and Beliveau all figure to have the upper-hand in Spring Training.