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California, here we comeApparently, I was wrong.
The Angels have signed Wilson to a five-year, $77.5 million contract. That brings their morning bill to $327 million.
Good luck with all that. And good luck with C.J.
Despite being the Rangers' best starter the last two seasons and posting really good numbers and being a homegrown guy, there hasn't been an ounce of outrage or despair when it came to the very real possibility that the Rangers would lose their "ace" in two consecutive off-seasons.
I think Rangers fans understand several things:
1. These guys aren't worth the money. More so, they're not worth tying up your entire payroll to keep them because you don't think you can do any better. I like C.J. Wilson. I've stood behind him as a fantastic pitcher and I was pumped when he was converted into a starter. However, he isn't worth $77.5 million and I wouldn't want the Rangers to tie that kind of money preventing them from making any other, more sensible moves later. You get burned by the big contract four times, you are wont to invite the fifth or sixth.
2. This was decided in October. The Rangers apparently topped out at four years. I am pretty sure the money ($15 million per) was going to be the same, but the Rangers weren't willing to increase the years as the Angels went to five and the Florida Marlins went to six. The Rangers I'm pretty sure would have went to five or six years had Wilson performed well in the latest World Series run. He didn't. With a pretty good cross section (52 innings, 10 starts) Wilson has proven his worth in the post-season, and it isn't pretty: 1-5 - 4.82 ERA - 1.43 WHIP - 29 walks.
The Rangers were not going to invest $77.5 million in a regular season "ace," a relative term when you compare him to Matt Harrison or Derek Holland.
The Angels are making bold moves and you can only commend them for that. I question whether or not they are making smart moves. Or are they just becoming the New York Yankees of the West Coast, throwing more money on top of bad money, erasing "mistakes" and eating contracts? You also kind of get the feeling they are bitter and emotion is not a good characteristic in properly scouting talent. There's a feeling of resentment towards the Rangers after the latter has become the toast of the American League and then getting Adrian Beltre a year ago and Mike Napoli in the turnaround with Toronto.
With Wilson, I do think they are playing with fire. Although he improved a lot, Wilson has a certified control issue and even at his best, his walks are very high for a front-of-the-rotation starter.
He will be without Mike Maddux. Not that the Angels have some bum as the pitching coach, but Wilson's ascension and ability and Maddux' introduction as the pitching coach is probably not an entire coincidence.
Wilson will also be without that Rangers infield and defense. The Angels were awful defensively a year ago and Wilson had a 50 percent groundball rate last season and he led baseball in double plays. The Rangers had a Gold Glove at third base, a potential Gold Glove at second and a future Gold Glove at shortstop. That says nothing to Napoli and Yorvit Torrealba at catcher and the outfield.
I typically don't feel any animosity in players that leave a hometown team, but I would not mind at all if Wilson didn't live up to that contract.
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