Kerry Wood has said all along he would either return to the Cubs or retire.
He is currently a free agent, but may not have to hang up his spikes just yet.
CSN's David Kaplan is reporting the veteran reliever will almost assuredly be back with the Cubs in 2012 and could even sign a two-year deal.
Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer were interested in a total makeover of the Cubs organization when they took over the front office and one of the major steps was to talk to Wood. Epstein met with the 34-year-old righty in Chicago last week to talk open and honestly about the state of the franchise. As Wood is the longest-tenured veteran, with the exception of the two years he spent in Cleveland and New York, and the most respected voice in the clubhouse, Epstein was hoping to gain a greater insight into how to change the Cubs' culture.
Wood compiled a 3.35 ERA last season in 51 innings. He struck out 57 batters and posted his best strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.71) since his 2008 All Star season with the Cubs when he saved 34 games.
He was shut down during the team's last homestand of 2011 with a knee injury, but all signs point to a full recovery. With Carlos Marmol coming off an erratic season, it wouldn't hurt the Cubs to have another veteran presence at the back end of the bullpen. Wood served mostly as a seventh or eighth inning guy in '11, but could be provide depth if Marmol experiences bouts of inconsistency again.
CSNChicago's David Kaplan contributed to this story.