Reds left-hander Alex Wood won his arbitration case on Wednesday. Wood will earn $9.65 million on his one-year contract this season. Cincinnati had offered $8.7 million.
Wood, who was acquired from the Dodgers on Dec. 21 in a seven-player trade, was the only case the Reds had to go to arbitration this winter. The two sides presented their case on Tuesday in Tampa, Fla.
"It was fine. You hear horror stories about some of the things that go on," Wood said Wednesday morning before he learned the case outcome. "But it was very respectful and professional, and I appreciated that from the Reds yesterday. We understand it's a business, and that's the way it goes sometimes."
Wood was 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 33 games (including 27 starts) last season. He was a 2017 All-Star for Los Angeles and has a 3.29 ERA in 172 games (129 starts) over his six-year career.
"Obviously, I would have liked to not have to go to Tampa, especially being a new member of the Reds. It was just a difference of opinion," Wood said. "As a player, you try to be realistic about your expectations, especially in terms of salary. If you think you deserve something or it's the right thing to do, you have to be willing to accept the consequence of losing a case and the consequences if you win. I thought I was doing the right thing for me and the guys behind me. That's ultimately what it's all about."
Wood, 28, has been excited to get going with camp since his trade. He didn't wait for Tuesday's report date to arrive in Reds camp.
"I've been here since about Feb. 1. I started making the rounds and meeting everybody as they trickled in," Wood said. "It's been really great. The common thing I've come to understand is they've had a pretty good clubhouse the last two years with the group of guys. Everything I've seen and who I've met, it kind of backs that up."
