Brian Wilson has saved 171 games for the Giants dating back to 2006, but now, following his Tommy John surgery earlier this year, it appears likely that he'll be non-tendered, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
As Schulman notes, teams must pay arbitration-eligible players at least 80 percent of their previous salary, which would mean the minimum offer the Giants can make Wilson is $6.8MM. That's a hefty price tag for a closer coming off Tommy John, even if he was elite at his peak. The Giants would like to non-tender Wilson and re-sign him to a one-year deal with a lower base salary, but Wilson isn't as open to that scenario.
In addition to his 171 saves, Wilson has earned three All-Star bids and anchored the bullpen for the Giants' 2010 World Series victory, Over the course of 320 career innings, he's pitched to a 3.21 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9. Wilson appeared in only two games this season, gutting out a save in his final appearance despite the damaged ligament in his arm.
Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla filled in admirably in Wilson's absence this season. Schulman notes, however, that Casilla himself could end up being non-tendered for salary reasons. Matt Swartz projects a $5.4MM salary for Casilla through arbitration following a solid season.
