Deadline Day

Today is the last day for the Cubs to offer arbitration to Bob Howry or Kerry Wood. They have until 11 pm CDT to do so.

Howry and Wood are both Type A free agents, which means that if the Cubs offer arbitration to them and they decline and sign with another team, then the Cubs will receive a compensation pick in the 2009 draft. If the team that signs him picks anywhere between 1-15, the Cubs would get a pick at the end of the first round. If the team that signs them picks between 16-30, the Cubs would receive their first round pick.

Reports say the Cubs will not be offering arbitration to Bob Howry, which makes sense considering Howry would be likely to accept. As much as I would like that compensation pick, I really do not want to see Howry in a Cub uniform any longer.

That same article said the Cubs are only going to offer arbitration to Wood if he is likely to decline.

I would like to see Wood offered arbitration. If he accepts, then you have another valuable reliever in your possession for another year, and if he declines you get a compensation pick in the draft. This seems like a no-brainer to me, but Hendry has already said the team is parting ways with Wood.

Would he accept arbitration? I really do not have a great idea, but put a gun to my head and I say yes, mainly because of the comments from Wood saying he would have taken a 1 year deal to stay with the team.