Marlins finally saw off Wood

The Marlins designated pinch-hitter Jason Wood for assignment on Saturday night, removing him from the 25-man (and 40-man) roster to clear the way for the return of Wes Helms.

The decision was a no-brainer and effectively ends the reign of terror Wood inflicted upon the Marlins in his 113-game stint with the team during parts of each of the last three seasons. While worse players have arguably held Major League roster spots during Wood's tenure, none did so with less purpose than Wood.

A 38-year old former infielder, Wood parlayed a fluke 6-for-13 September run with the Fish back in 2006 to a year-long outfest as an early-game pinch-hitter with the team for ALL of last season, batting just .239/.286/.368. At 37, he was no longer an asset in the field and had no upside, not to mention no previous Major League track record to suggest he had at one time possessed a modicum of hitting ability. And to those that argue that he was an effective pinch-hitter (.188/.233/.304) or performed well in the clutch (.235/.297/.441 in close & late situations), the numbers just don't bear that out.

Frankly, it was a major failure on the front office's part to have him on the Opening Day roster. There are literally dozens of Quadruple-A slugging types available who would have provided more than Wood's 70 OPS+ last year.

Though he's now off the team after an 0-for-2 mark with a walk to start 2008, all is not so rosy. Because he's such a poor player, Wood's virtually a cinch to clear waivers and accept an assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque. Which is to say that he stands a good chance at getting called back up once an injury to a position player strikes. Be afraid. Be very afraid.