CJ Wilson gets $77 million. Really?

I thought only the over spending desperate NY Yankees made moves like this?

Flying a little bit under the radar of the monumental Albert Pujols signing is the fact that the Angels will be giving CJ Wilson over $15 million a season for the next 5 years. The way it looks, he will be the 3rd starter behind Weaver and Haren.

Don’t get me wrong, Wilson is a very good pitcher, as evidenced by his 16-7 record and 2.94 ERA, but is he worth $15 million a year? I just don’t see how.

2011 was only his 2nd year with over 10 wins (he won 15 in 2010) and only his 2nd as a starter. He has a winning record in the majors (43-35) a career ERA of 3.60 and a pretty impressive 637 K’s in 708 innings. What I didn’t realize though is his age, Wilson turned 31 in November and 2011 was his 7th season with the Rangers, for some reason I thought he was much younger; maybe 27 or 28.

That means that he will be 36 years old by the end of this contract and though he has a winning record in the majors; to say he has the track record to deserve a $77 million contract is pushing it. Now the real concern, Wilson is only 1-5 in his post-season career on a team that made it to the World Series in consecutive seasons. The Rangers, a team that absolutely mashes the ball and plays great defense; yet he has a losing record and a 4.60 career post season ERA.

So I guess the Angels are betting on Wilson continuing his progression and becoming a top of the line starter who will dominate the AL West for the next 5 years. Good luck with that!

Although a very good pitcher, paying $15 million a year for a number 3 starter is ridiculous. Again the Yankees are the only team I know of that does stuff like this. I wasn’t surprised to read that they were in the running for Wilson, but I am surprised that they are the team that didn’t offer him a ridiculously outrageous amount of money.

Good for the Angels, Artie Moreno is flexing his financial might and proving to the rest of the league that the Angels are a force to be reckoned with. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies are no longer the only big boys on the block. They now have a combined $331 million invested in Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. I guess the Anaheim Angels are the new evil empire.

Written by Boogs44