Alex Wood’s 2024 Season Concluded on a High Note, But His 2025 Future Remains Uncertain
This is the third article in a series examining the future of Dodgers free agents as they approach the 2021 season.
ALEX WOOD
Reason for Dodgers to Keep Him: He might prefer a swingman role on a perennial contender over a starting spot on a rebuilding team.
Reason Against: He has already won a championship, and now seeks a team where he can start 30 games and regain his value.
Other Potential Fits: Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks.
Though Alex Wood’s return to the Dodgers didn’t unfold as he hoped, the ending will remain unforgettable.
The left-handed pitcher signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers last offseason, aiming to rebuild his career as a starting pitcher. However, a shoulder injury derailed his season early, and after his recovery, he was shifted to the bullpen. For most of the postseason, Wood found himself in low-leverage relief situations.
But everything changed during Game 6 of the World Series, when the Dodgers secured their first title in 32 years against the Tampa Bay Rays. Wood entered in the third inning and delivered two perfect frames, striking out three batters to help seal the championship.
Looking ahead, Wood’s future is uncertain as he approaches his 30th birthday in January.
Once an All-Star in the Dodgers’ rotation, Wood has made just nine starts and 20 total appearances (including postseason) over the past two years.
His earned run average (ERA) during this stretch stands at 5.50, with a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) nearing 1.5.
A recent ESPN ranking of free agents did not project Wood among the top 100 highest-paid players on the market this winter.
If Wood remains in Los Angeles, it will likely be in a middle-relief role, though that may not suit either him or the team.
The Dodgers acquired Wood in a trade with the Atlanta Braves in July 2015. Wood had been drafted by Atlanta in the second round three years prior and had been limited by injuries in 2016. In 2017, he broke through with a standout season, going 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA.
Despite a solid 2018 season (9-7, 3.68 ERA), Wood was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason along with Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp. He missed the first four months of the 2019 season due to a back injury, and when he returned, he posted a career-worst 5.80 ERA.
Last winter, Wood signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Dodgers. He started the season in the rotation but struggled in his first outing in July, giving up three runs in three innings. He was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation and didn’t return until September, when he made seven relief appearances and one as an opener.
Before his appearance in Game 6 of the World Series, Wood had only pitched in three postseason games, never in high-leverage situations.
In Game 6, he was called upon to pitch in the third and fourth innings with the game on the line. He responded with a brilliant performance, needing only 20 pitches — 16 strikes — to record six outs.
After securing the final out, Wood walked off the mound visibly emotional. If that was his last appearance as a Dodger, it was certainly a memorable one.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.