During the offseason, the Chicago Cubs lost a key contributor to their World Series championship squad in Travis Wood. Wood, 30, signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals; unlike the Cubs, the Royals promised Wood an opportunity to contend for a spot in the starting rotation.
At first, the loss of Wood left a hole in the Cubs pitching staff; in 2015 and 2016, he appeared in 54 and 77 games, respectively, anchoring the team’s middle relief corps. After pitching to a promising 3.84 ERA in 2015, Wood’s 2.95 ERA in 2016 was third lowest among Cubs relievers (minimum 50 appearances with the team).