After seeing Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill sign with other teams this offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers have attempted to replace some of their innings via the free agency route in recent weeks.
The club signed former Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson to a one-year contract, adding him to the mix of intriguing arms that will be vying for a spot in the starting rotation during Spring Training.
The Dodgers also reunited with Alex Wood on a one-year pact just 13 months after trading him to the Cincinnati Reds as part of a salary-motivated deal that netted prospects Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray.
Wood’s lone season with the Reds was rather forgetful, as he didn’t make his 2019 debut until July and wound up logging only seven starts for the organization.
Now back with the Dodgers, Wood can earn a plethora of incentives this season based on how efficient he is in each game, via The Associated Press:
He gets one point for each start, or any relief appearance in which he gets 10 outs or more, and he will receive $250,000 each for earning 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 points. After that, he would get $500,000 apiece for earning 22, 24, 26 and 28 points.
He also could earn $2.5 million in innings incentives. He will get $500,000 apiece for pitching 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 innings.
Wood has reached the 150-inning threshold in four of his seven big league seasons, including his two most recent years with the Dodgers. He was at his best during an All-Star 2017 campaign, going 16-3 with a 2.78 ERA in 152.1 innings pitched.
Wood turned that success into a ninth-place finish in National League Cy Young Award voting. He also thrived during the postseason, handing the Houston Astros their only loss at home in Game 4 of the 2017 World Series.
The left-hander is coming off an injury-ridden 2019 season with the Reds in which he went 1-3 with a 5.80 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 35.2 innings pitched.
Prior to getting traded to Cincinnati, Wood went a combined 31-20 with a 3.46 ERA, 3,50 FIP and 1.71 WHIP in four seasons with the Dodgers.
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