Giants bring back lefty Wood on 2-year contract

SAN FRANCISCO » Lefthander Alex Wood is staying with the San Francisco Giants, reaching agreement Wednesday on a $25 million, two-year contract.

He gives manager Gabe Kapler two starters named Alex in the rotation after Tuesday’s addition of righthander Alex Cobb on a $20 million, two-year contract with a club option for 2024. The two pitchers even worked out together briefly during the coronavirus shutdown last year.

“Wood has electric stuff, funky delivery,” Cobb said during a video call.

San Francisco President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi needed to address the rotation after losing right-hander Kevin Gausman to the Blue Jays earlier this week on a $110 million, five-year contract.

Last week, right-hander Anthony DeSclafani received a $36 million, threeyear deal to remain with the club.

“It’s not a strategy, we talked about how we could imagine our rotation being filled up with a mix of guys on one-year deals or multiyear deals, and this is just how it’s played out so far,” Zaidi said.

Wood returned from a bout with COVID-19 to contribute during the key stretch run, when 107-win San Francisco edged the rival, 106-win Dodgers on the final day of the regular season before losing to Los Angeles in a thrilling, fivegame NL Division Series.

“My wife and I are ecstatic to be back. We have such a special group. The culture they’ve started to build there and to be a part of that last year and see it culminated into 107 wins and a playoff berth and winning the division, I just had a blast,” Wood said. “It’s such a great group of people, top to bottom.”