Chicago Cubs: Ranking the greatest players of the decade – #20-11

Chicago Cubs: No. 18: Travis Wood

Travis Wood is a unique case, as he was with the club both during the lean years of the early Theo Epstein era and during the winning that took place in 2015 and 2016. He was one of the longest-tenured Cubs of the decade, with five years of service.

Wood came over in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds before the start of the 2012 season. He was decent as a starter, but in 2013 he earned a spot on the All-Star team on his way to pitching exactly 200 innings. That year, he had a 3.11 ERA in 32 starts. He wasn’t as good in 2014: While he took the ball 31 times, he posted a 5.03 ERA.

In 2015, Wood was converted to a reliever and was solid, but he had another spectacular year out of the bullpen in 2016, putting up a 2.95 ERA in 61 innings. Wood could also swing the bat and will be remembered for his home run against the San Francisco Giants in the 2016 NLDS while making a relief appearance.

Unfortunately, Wood’s career quickly fizzled out after his memorable 2016 campaign. He last pitched in the majors with the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres in 2017.