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C.J. Wilson

C.J. Wilson Focusing On Racing Career, May Not Pitch Again

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Left-hander C.J. Wilson missed the 2016 season due to shoulder troubles, and it now sounds as if he may not return to professional baseball. The 36-year-old told Tommy Tran of ABC 30 that he’s purchased an Audi/BMW/Porsche dealership in Fresno (one of multiple dealerships that he owns) and also plans to shift his focus primarily to his auto racing career (video link).

As Wilson explains to Tran, he owns a racing team (C.J. Wilson Racing) which races Porsches in the International Motor Sports Association, and he’s looking forward to getting behind the wheel himself more often. Racing, along with baseball, has been a lifelong passion for Wilson, as he explains to Tran in the previously linked interview. Wilson didn’t expressly rule out a return to baseball, though he did suggest that his career could be over: “I’ve made all my mistakes, as a baseball player, that I’ll ever make, hopefully. So that’s good — no more home runs to give up.”

In an interview with Doug Gottlieb of CBS Radio 97.5 FM / 1240 AM (audio link, hat tip to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register), Wilson wasn’t quite as definite. “I still keep myself in shape,” said Wilson. “I’m still working out and all that stuff. I just tell everybody that I signed with C.J. Wilson Racing instead of signing with a baseball team.” Asked specifically if he would ever pitch again, he responded: “I don’t know. I mean, if the situation was right, maybe. But I think at this point, right now, I’m here at the dealership and working on racing and focused on that. The most attractive offer I had was to race this year.”

For the time being, it certainly seems that a return to pro baseball is unlikely for the longtime Rangers/Angels left-hander. Wilson said to Gottlieb that his goal is to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (an endurance racing event in France) this year.

If Wilson’s baseball career is indeed over, it’ll conclude with a 94-70 record, 52 saves, a 3.74 ERA and 1259 strikeouts over the course of 1430 1/3 regular-season innings. The left-hander made two World Series appearances with the Rangers in 2010-11 and also appeared in the playoffs with the 2014 Angels.

C.J. Wilson Progressing Through Throwing Program

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Free agent lefty C.J. Wilson, who missed the entire 2016 season due to shoulder surgery that repaired fraying in his labrum and rotator cuff, began a throwing program last month, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The longtime Rangers and Angels hurler could work out for big league clubs at some point in February, Rosenthal adds.

Certainly, there’s cause for teams to express concern about a 36-year-old pitcher that has undergone not only the aforementioned shoulder surgery but also surgery to remove bone spurs from his pitching elbow since last setting foot on a Major League mound. However, Wilson has a lengthy track record of quality results in the American League West, and most recently pitched to a 3.89 ERA across 132 innings with the 2015 Halos.

Though he’s battled injuries in recent years, Wilson was a durable workhorse in Texas and Anaheim from 2010-14, averaging 33 starts and 204 innings per season while compiling a 3.56 earned run average with 7.9 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9. He’s traditionally displayed strong ground-ball tendencies, and while he’s long carried some degree of platoon split, he’s held right-handed batters in check well enough to maintain a rotation role since 2010. At worst, Wilson’s excellent track record against lefties (career .199/.284/.286 slash line) would seem to suggest that he could function as a bullpen piece if he’s able to prove healthy enough to return to the Majors this season. However, while Wilson is no stranger to the bullpen, having spent the first five years of his career working primarily in relief, I’d imagine a number of clubs will want to first give him a shot to return to the rotation.

It’s unlikely that any interested club would simply pencil Wilson into a rotation spot, but if he’s healthy enough to showcase for interested clubs next month, he should have the opportunity to audition for a team in Spring Training. Wilson has been linked to the Marlins on multiple occasions this winter, but while they still need a southpaw in the bullpen, they’ve since added Edinson Volquez and Jeff Locke to their rotation picture.

AL West Notes: Hernandez, Utley, A’s, Mariners, Beltran

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News and rumors from around the AL West…

  • The Angels checked in with the Phillies about second baseman Cesar Hernandez at the start of the offseason but talks didn’t develop due to the Phils’ high asking price, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.  While Hernandez doesn’t look like an option, Fletcher lists several other relatively inexpensive second base possibilities who could be available for the Halos in free agency or in trades.
  • One name cited by Fletcher is Chase Utley, and FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman indeed tweets that the Angels “have emerged” as a potential landing spot for the veteran second baseman.  Utley has a clear path to playing time in Anaheim and he would get to stay in his hometown area.
  • The Athletics and Royals have a pretty healthy trade history, MLB.com’s Jane Lee notes, and the clubs could work out another deal to land the A’s a center fielder in the form of Jarrod Dyson.  Lorenzo Cain is also available, if more expensive and Oakland would have to give quite a bit more to land him.  Lee’s piece suggests several names that could be on Oakland’s radar for the center field vacancy, though costs will keep the A’s away from many of the bigger names.
  • Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said his club is engaged in talks to acquire a starter, with a trade more likely than a signing, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune writes.  Dutton speculates that Scott Kazmir or Brandon McCarthy, both of whom are reportedly being shopped by the Dodgers, could be fits in Seattle.  On the free agent front, the M’s are still interested in Doug Fister but don’t seem to have much interest in such options as Colby Lewis, Derek Holland or C.J. Wilson.
  • New Astros signee Carlos Beltran was introduced to media (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) during his introductory press conference today, and he said the Astros quickly drew his attention in free agency.  “They really made an offer early, faster than any other team….The fact they were aggressive and went out there and really showed big-time interest, it wasn’t that difficult to make to make a decision,” Beltran said.
  • In other AL West News, the Rangers were covered in a team-centric notes post as well as news about their bigger-ticket outfield targets.

Marlins Rumors: Ramos, Ozuna, Fister, Phelps, Gee

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The Marlins have “signaled that they might be willing to trade” closer A.J. Ramos, reports ESPN’s Jayson Stark (via Twitter). On the one hand, the news isn’t all that surprising, as Ramos projects to earn a relatively hefty $6.8MM in 2017 and is only controllable for another two seasons, so Miami could market him as it looks to add more stability to its rotation. On the other hand, there have been reports that the Marlins are weighing a run at right-hander Kenley Jansen to beef up the bullpen and shorten the game for their starters due to the lack of available rotation help. Moving Ramos would go against the stated goal of deepening the relief corps with high-end talent, although perhaps the team could look to add some rotation help by moving Ramos and replace him with a free-agent arm. Ramos, 30, posted a terrific 2.81 ERA with 10.3 K/9 but also averaged 4.9 BB/9 and posted a career-worst 36.4 percent ground-ball rate in 64 innings with Miami last year.

A few more notes on the Fish…

  • There’s been “little to no dialogue” between the Marlins and other teams about outfielder Marcell Ozuna, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Many clubs are taking a patient approach to see how the pitching market develops before they determine whether they can part with an arm in a trade to address the outfield, Frisaro writes, and there isn’t much internal traction regarding the idea of dealing Ozuna. With Edinson Volquez on board, the Marlins may look further to the free-agent market rather than seeking trades to bolster the staff.
  • Also from Frisaro, the Marlins have had internal discussions regarding Doug Fister, C.J. Wilson and Jon Niese. Previous reports have linked Miami to the latter two names, but this appears to be the first definitive link between the Marlins and Fister, who posted a 4.64 ERA with 5.7 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 45.3 percent ground-ball rate in 180 1/3 innings for the Astros last season. That marked a second consecutive weak showing for Fister, who was previously one of the more underrated starters in baseball while pitching for the Tigers. Fister’s strikeout rate has plummeted in recent years, though, and while he’s never thrown hard, his once 89-90 mph fastball is now more in the 86-87 mph range. David Phelps is also a candidate to step into the rotation, but the Marlins prefer that he remains at the back of the bullpen, Frisaro adds.
  • Also of note from Frisaro’s piece on the team’s free-agent hunt, he lists Jansen and Aroldis Chapman as assets that are probably too expensive for the Marlins but lists right-handers Mark Melancon and Daniel Hudson as more affordable options that could be realistic targets.
  • Meanwhile, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Marlins have reached out to the representatives for right-hander Dillon Gee, who became a free agent when he was cut loose by the Royals after the season. Gee is no stranger to the NL East, having spent the bulk of his career with the Mets, and he delivered 125 innings with a 4.68 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 41 percent ground-ball rate for Kansas City last year. However, Gee’s season came to an end when he required surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training, though, and would give the Marlins a veteran arm who could function in a swingman capacity, making some starts as needed but also providing a relief arm capable of throwing multiple innings.

Marlins Notes: Wilson, Niese, Ozuna, Trades

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Here’s the latest from south Florida…

  • The Marlins have some interest in veteran lefty C.J. Wilson, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.  Wilson “isn’t on the verge of making a decision” about his next team, though the southpaw does intend to play in 2017 after being sidelined since July 2015 due to elbow and shoulder injuries.  Jackson notes that Miami had interest in Wilson the last time he was a free agent, prior to his signing a five-year, $77.5MM deal with the Angels following the 2011 season.
  • In another item from Jackson, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Marlins pursue left-hander Jon Niese.  Like Wilson, Niese is another veteran who’d be available at a relatively low price, which fits the Marlins’ plans of adding starting pitching without breaking the bank.  Niese posted a 5.50 ERA over 121 innings with the Pirates and Mets last season, delivering his usual low-strikeout, high-grounder arsenal but allowing a whopping 22.1% home run rate.  A move to Marlins Park would theoretically help Niese avoid the long ball, though PNC Park and Citi Field also aren’t generally homer-friendly stadiums.  Niese is a free agent after the Mets declined his $10MM club option for 2017, instead paying the lefty a $500K buyout.
  • Marcell Ozuna has often been cited as a potential trade chip for Miami, though MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro believes that dealing Ozuna and then spending big to sign another outfielder (i.e. Dexter Fowler) doesn’t make financial sense.  Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich are both getting raises next year, so signing a player like Fowler would put the Fish in line for roughly $42MM in salary for just three outfielders.  If Ozuna was to be dealt, the more likely scenario for a replacement is that the Marlins sign a short-term veteran to platoon with Ichiro Suzuki.
  • Also as part of Frisaro’s mailbag piece, he looks at the Marlins’ need for pitching and opines that Doug Fister would be a good fit in Miami.  If Frisaro was in charge, he would look to free agency rather than the trade market since he would “be really reluctant to deal any of the core position players off the big league roster” due to “a shortage of organizational depth.”

C.J. Wilson To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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Angels lefty C.J. Wilson will undergo surgery on his left shoulder, per a club announcement. The procedure will address “fraying” in his labrum and rotator cuff and will keep him out until 2017.

Wilson, 35, has simply not shown progress after dealing with shoulder soreness this spring. He has yet to appear in the majors this season, and also had his 2015 season cut short by arm surgery — that time to remove bone chips from his elbow.

With the news, Wilson will hit the open market without returning to the bump for the Halos. He joined the organization on a five-year, $77.5MM free agent contract before the 2012 season.

That signing may not have paid off quite as much as hoped, but Wilson was useful for Los Angeles over his four years of active duty with the club. All told, Wilson contributed 722 1/3 innings of 3.87 ERA pitching, with 7.7 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9.

Depending upon how his rehab goes, Wilson could feature as an interesting bounceback candidate on the open market. Teams are always in need of sturdy, back-of-the-rotation arms, and we’ve seen fairly significant guarantees handed out to similarly-accomplished pitchers who have recent injury concerns.

Latest On Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, C.J. Wilson

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Angels starters Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney are receiving mixed results from their stem-cell therapy treatments, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. It’s ultimately too soon to know whether either or both will require Tommy John surgery, per GM Billy Eppler, but they have progressed somewhat differently to this point.

The right-handed Richards has experienced some “progressive healing” in his UCL, whereas Heaney’s left elbow has not. Richards is set for his next follow-up in six weeks, with Heaney getting looked at sooner, but Gonzalez suggests there’s not much hope that either will return in 2016 even in the best case scenario.

Eppler made clear that the decisions about the TJ procedure will be made before this season ends. That would ensure that the pitchers can undertake a full recovery timeline and return for the 2018 season. Ultimately, per Eppler, the starters will need to build up to “competitively throwing pitches of consequence” before a final determination can be made.

Needless to say, the progress of these two pitchers is critical to the team’s plans. Coming into the year, they were expected to front the staff for years to come. Even if it’s unrealistic to expect any significant contribution this year, the question remains whether either will be available in 2017.

In Richards’ case, too, difficult arbitration questions loom. He is earning $6.425MM this year in his first season of arb eligibility, and figures to command at least a slight raise after contributing 34 2/3 quality innings. If he’s out for all of next year, then, Los Angeles might be left deciding whether to pay him something on the order of $15MM for the 2018 campaign, with no guarantees of how he’d bounce back from the TJ procedure. It is worth noting that teams have acted creatively to deal with such matters; the Rockies recently extended reliever Adam Ottavino during his rehab, and the White Sox did the same with Nate Jones, with the teams capturing some upside as the players avoided uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the Halos got yet more middling news on lefty C.J. Wilson. He’s going in for another opinion as his shoulder continues to fail to respond to efforts to get back to the big leagues. “It seems like it’s not firing the way he wants it to fire,” said Eppler. It’s far from clear that the 35-year-old will appear again before his contract expires a year’s end.

Injury Notes: Ross, Teixeira, Salazar, Soler, Angels

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While Padres righty Tyson Ross is progressing through his throwing program, he is not expected to make it back until after the All-Star game, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. The expectation is that Ross will begin throwing bullpens in a few weeks, and his timeline should gain more clarity once he reaches the mound. A return in mid-July could in theory put him in play at the trade deadline, but it seems increasingly likely that Ross won’t be shopped until after the season.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the game:

  • Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira will forego surgery on his right knee in hopes that he’ll be game-ready in three weeks’ time, as Roger Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be expected at the major league level at that point, as the length of his layoff could require at least a brief rehab stint. The struggling veteran has already been placed on the 15-day DL after being diagnosed with a cartilage tear.
  • Indians righty Danny Salazar will miss his next start due to shoulder fatigue, the club announced. It seems that the hope is it won’t be much more than that, as he’d likely be placed on the DL to free a roster spot otherwise. Salazar’s status remains worth watching, however. The 26-year-old has been outstanding in his first 11 starts. Cleveland will go to Cody Anderson for the spot start. While he’s struggled at times this year in the majors, Anderson has dominated in three Triple-A starts and is as good an insurance policy as you’ll find around the game.
  • The Cubs had to pull outfielder Jorge Soler from tonight’s action due to a hamstring injury, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He’s headed in for an MRI tomorrow, but it seems as if a DL stint could be in his future. Veteran minor-leaguer Matt Murton could get consideration if that proves necessary, but skipper Joe Maddon also suggested that prospect Albert Almora could receive consideration.
  • Meanwhile, the Angels continue to sort through a host of pitching ailments, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Of immediate concern, set-up man Joe Smith is hoping to stave off a trip to the DL with a hamstring injury. Starters Tyler Skaggs and C.J. Wilson are both in different stages of the rehab process. The former is expected to head out on a rehab assignment after a five-inning extended spring appearance tomorrow. And the latter hopes to re-start a throwing program this week.
  • The Angels are also waiting for some position players, as Fletcher further covers. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons (thumb surgery) could return to the majors as soon as Friday; outfielder Daniel Nava (groin) has only just returned to baseball activities; and catcher Geovany Soto (knee surgery) is throwing but has yet to hit or get into the crouch.

AL Notes: Astros, BoSox, ChiSox, Yanks, Angels

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Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez “very likely could join” the team during its next series, which begins Monday in Arizona, manager A.J. Hinch said (via Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle). That would mark a quick return for Gomez, who landed on the disabled list May 17 with a bruised left rib cage and is currently on a Double-A rehab assignment. Gomez was unexpectedly among the worst players in baseball this year before his placement on the DL, hitting a toothless .182/.238/.248 without a home run in 132 plate appearances. “I think he’s feeling a lot better, which is the number one priority. Getting production out of him is the second phase of this,” stated Hinch.

In other American League news…

  • The Red Sox are considering removing Brock Holt from the everyday left field job when he returns from a concussion and shifting him back to a super-utility role, writes Ian Browne of MLB.com. Whether that happens will depend on how catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart fares in Holt’s place, said manager John Farrell – who’s encouraged by Swihart’s defensive work. “If [Blake] swings the bat, we could find Brock in more of a utility role and move him around. When Brock has been getting fairly regular at-bats, he’s been a very productive offensive player. That’s going to determine it,” commented Farrell. Swihart has collected just nine hits in 50 plate appearances this season, though he did have a two-triple performance Wednesday. Holt, who spent time at eight different positions in 2015 and made the All-Star team, got off to a slow start this season prior to his injury and hasn’t played since May 17.
  • The White Sox were confident right-hander Miguel Gonzalez would help them when they signed him as a free agent shortly before the season, and the move has so far paid off, writes Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. Gonzalez overcame a below-average strikeout rate to record a 3.49 ERA with the Orioles from 2012-14, but that number rose to an ugly 4.91 last season and the O’s then released him after his velocity dropped in spring training. Gonzalez’s velo is back to its previous level, though, and he gave up a respectable nine earned runs in 22 2/3 May innings. “Every time he pitches, it seems like we have a chance to win that game,” manager Robin Ventura said of Gonzalez. With the Sox in talks to acquire James Shields from the Padres, either Gonzalez or Mat Latos could soon be the odd man out of Chicago’s rotation. Gonzalez and Latos are trending in opposite directions at the moment, so it seems the latter would get a demotion as of now.
  • Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild didn’t rule out temporarily removing Michael Pineda from the team’s rotation when asked Saturday, but manager Joe Girardi said today that it hasn’t been considered (via Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media). Although the right-hander allowed six earned runs in a loss to the Rays on Saturday to increase his ERA to a league-worst 6.92, he’ll start Thursday against Detroit.
  • As was reported earlier today, Angels southpaw C.J. Wilson had a setback in his recovery from a shoulder injury. The 35-year-old has since opened up about it, telling reporters – including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter link) – that he felt “awful” during his Saturday bullpen session. Wilson will next undergo an MRI, per Fletcher.

AL Notes: Red Sox, Orioles, Angels

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With 23 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, 5-foot-9, 180-pound Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts is showing rare power for such a diminutive player, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe details. Even scout Danny Watkins, who was instrumental in Boston’s fifth-round selection of Betts in the 2011 draft, is surprised. “I did not see home runs like this,” Watkins told Speier. “Honestly, I thought he could have some impact with power, but I really thought it would come in the form of doubles more than home runs. Knowing what I saw, it would still be very difficult for me to go back and project this type of performance by this age.” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is also taken aback by the 23-year-old’s power-hitting ways. “I don’t remember a thinner, smaller guy in that regard who generates the type of power he does. He’s just got exceptional talent.” Betts is currently on pace to reach the 30-homer plateau; if he does, he’ll join exclusive company – Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Mel Ott – as the only players 5-10 or under to accomplish the feat by the age of 23, notes Speier.

More from Boston and two other American League cities:

  • Catcher Matt Wieters’ offseason decision to accept the Orioles’ $15.8MM qualifying offer is paying dividends for the team, writes Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. In addition to hitting .291/.331/.453 with four homers in 124 plate appearances, Wieters has thrown out 4 of 8 attempted base stealers, and Connolly argues that the lack of steal attempts is a sign of respect from opposing offenses for the backstop’s arm.
  • One of Wieters’ teammates, right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, should accept a demotion to the minors to get back on track, opines Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. After yielding six runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks in just 1 2/3 innings Saturday, Jimenez’s ERA spiked to 6.36. In his six May starts, the 32-year-old allowed 43 hits, nearly an earned run per frame (27 in 29 1/3 innings) and struck out as many hitters as he walked (19). Worsening matters is a contract that pays the ex-Rockies star $13MM this year and another $13.5MM in 2017. The Orioles would perhaps be willing to cut bait on Jimenez and eat the remaining $22.7MM on his deal if they had more starting options, which they don’t, per Schmuck.
  • It appeared Angels southpaw C.J. Wilson was making progress in his recovery from a shoulder injury, but he suffered a setback Saturday and had to be shut down, reports Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The Angels diagnosed Wilson with biceps tendinitis and will send him for further tests before determining what comes next. Wilson, who’s making $20MM this season in a contract year, hasn’t taken the hill for the Halos since last July because of elbow and shoulder issues.
  • Red Sox right-hander Brandon Workman – on the mend from June 2015 Tommy John surgery – could serve as a bullpen reinforcement for the club later in the season, relays Ian Browne of MLB.com. Workman last pitched in 2014 and owns a less-than-stellar 5.11 ERA – including a 6.07 mark as a reliever – in 128 2/3 major league innings, but manager John Farrell likes that the 27-year-old racked up experience with a World Series winner in 2013. “Extremely valuable,” he said of Workman’s time with that Red Sox team. Going forward, Farrell added, “How he throws and how the arm strength returns will indicate how we factor him in and what he’s going to be capable of.”
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