The San Francisco Giants recently announced they signed former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood to a one-year contract.
It took a while to get going, but MLB free agency has finally picked up with the start of Spring Training just around the corner. Not only did Wood find a deal with the Giants, but fellow Dodgers free agent Pedro Baez also inked a two-year contract with the Houston Astros.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers were able to retain one of their own in Blake Treinen and have been linked to a number of other relievers.
Wood’s second stint with the Dodgers has come to an end, and although he spent most of the 2020 season injured, he wound up making solid contributions during a postseason run that culminated in a World Series championship.
After signing with the Giants, Wood took to Instagram to express gratitude to the Dodgers organization, teammates and fans for his time in L.A.:
The Dodgers originally acquired Wood from the Atlanta Braves in a three-team trade in 2015. He had a few solid seasons with the team, including in 2017 when he was an All-Star, before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2019.
After one injury-plagued season with the Reds, Wood returned to the Dodgers on a one-year deal last winter. He made the Opening Day rotation but was placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering a shoulder injury in his first start of the year.
Wood returned in time to be an extra left-handed arm out of the bullpen in the postseason and wound up tossing four shutout innings of relief in the World Series, including two perfect frames in the decisive Game 6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
With the Dodgers already having a crowded rotation, going to a team like the Giants where he can be a starter was seemingly a priority for Wood this winter.
Wood defends perception of Baez
Among the current and now former Dodgers players, Wood is one of the more active on social media. He recently took to Twitter to defend Baez after the latter’s perception of not being trusted during his time with the Dodgers was put into question after he signed with the Astros.
Even though both are no longer on the Dodgers, it is clear that the bond they share after winning the 2020 World Series is not something that will be forgotten.
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