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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher C.J. Wilson is preparing for the 2016 season with some new mechanics after running into injury issues last year.

On Saturday, Wilson spoke with Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register about the changes in his motion on the mound.

“I looked at the video and said, ‘This isn’t right,’” he said. “I have to scuttle the whole thing and start over again. [I] recreated a new delivery that is different, with a different arm slot and everything. So I throw completely different now than I did last year. I won’t even look like the same pitcher.”

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said the changes are minor, but they will help Wilson stay comfortable on the mound.

Wilson decided to cut his 2015 season short in August because of an elbow injury that plagued him for most of the year. His decision was met with skepticism by his teammates, who believed that Wilson should have pitched through the injury, per MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez.

Not only did the injury require surgery, but Wilson also told Fletcher that he hurt his shoulder while pitching through it. The shoulder pain flared up in spring training and forced the change in mechanics, as it would have affected his velocity.

“Once I got to the point where I was throwing max effort, then it started breaking down again, so I had to go back to the drawing board and start throwing differently,” he said.

When healthy, Wilson could be a serviceable starter in Los Angeles. He won 17 games in 2013 before winning just 13 and eight in the following two seasons.

If his new mechanics help him regain that kind of success, though, he can be a solid option alongside Garrett Richards and Jered Weaver.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson returned to spring training Friday and resumed throwing as he continues his recovery from left elbow surgery and battles through some left shoulder tendinitis.

Continue for updates. 

Wilson “Looking Iffy” for Opening Day

Friday, March 4

According to the Orange Country Register‘s Jeff Fletcher, Wilson was able to throw, but he has yet to progress to the point where he’s throwing off a mound. 

Wilson underwent season-ending surgery to remove bone spurs in his left (throwing) elbow last August, and recent tests revealed left shoulder tendinitis. 

But based on the potential outcomes the MRI could have produced, the Angels were not concerned with the diagnosis. 

“We were very pleased with the results,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said, per Fletcher. 

So even if Wilson doesn’t return in time for Opening Day, the way the team has publicly discussed the minor setback is reason to believe the southpaw shouldn’t be on the shelf for long.

After racking up at least 200 innings pitched in four straight seasons between 2010 and 2013, Wilson failed to reach that benchmark during the 2014 and 2015 campaigns. 

But if there’s a time for him to rebound, 2016 would appear to be it. 

The 35-year-old is in the final year of his contract with the Angels, per Spotrac, and a solid showing throughout 2016 could allow him to reap the rewards of one more long-term deal before he calls it quits. 

The velocity on Wilson’s fastball has dropped each of the past three seasons, per FanGraphs, but if he can touch somewhere in the range of 91-92 mph on the radar gun while effectively mixing in his curveball and changeup, he could piece together a nice resurgent season. 

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher C.J. Wilson is reportedly being dangled as trade bait amid the MLB offseason.

Continue for updates.

Report: Wilson on Block, Angels Hoping to Fill Roster Holes

Monday, Dec. 7

Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller reported the buzz on Wilson’s future, indicating the Angels may need to pay some of the $20 million in salary the southpaw is owed in 2016 to execute a deal.

Miller specified the areas L.A. needs to address are second base, third base and left field.

Dependable veteran David Freese plays the hot corner but is hitting free agency this offseason, leaving new general manager Billy Eppler in a tough spot. The Orange County Register‘s Jeff Fletcher speculated Jay Bruce and Seth Smith as possible trade targets to fill in at left field.

It’s evident Eppler isn’t shy about making bold moves in his reported interest in shopping Wilson, who went 8-8 this past season with a 3.89 ERA. The 35-year-old was shut down after 21 starts and underwent left elbow surgery.

Since teammates were reportedly frustrated by Wilson’s decision to sit out the rest of the season, according to MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez, there is some logic to trading him. Wilson posted a 4.51 ERA in 2014 and may be causing a subtle rift in the clubhouse, meaning both parties could be best suited for a fresh start.

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The pitching market has mostly been at a standstill this offseason with Jon Lester being the presumed catalyst to increased talks on other arms, but the latest MLB trade rumors suggest that several premier arms could be on the move in the near future.

It naturally takes just one domino to fall to start a chain reaction. Once Lester signs, which should be sometime Tuesday, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney, increased talks between teams regarding viable arms will occur.

After watching the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals dominate through the postseason because of pitching, expect teams to put an emphasis on improving their staffs. That’ll result in bidding or trade wars for the best available talent.

Below is the latest chatter regarding several pitching options from the 2014 winter meetings in San Diego.

C.J. Wilson

A surprise addition to the rumor mill, Los Angeles Angels lefty C.J. Wilson has had his name pop up in talks during the early stages of the winter meetings.

MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets that the team has received interest from a few clubs:

But what good is a rumor without a high-ranking executive saying it isn’t true? Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweeted a quote that Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto told him about Wilson:

Believe who you’d like to, but it’s honestly tough to picture the Angels dealing away one of their top arms. Garrett Richards is a major injury concern entering the 2015 season, nobody knows if Matt Shoemaker will post the same dominant numbers and Jered Weaver’s drop in velocity is bound to catch up to him eventually. Plus Tyler Skaggs will miss all of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Of course, the evaluation of any trade cannot occur until we find out which players are being talked about in return.

It appears as if the Angels would be selling low on Wilson if he’s moved. He posted a 4.51 ERA (4.31 FIP) over 175.2 innings, walking 4.35 batters per nine innings and producing a WAR of just 0.6, per FanGraphs.

Wilson is owed $38 million over the next two seasons, meaning a potential deal would probably be a type of salary dump. The Halos really don’t have a pressing need in the lineup or in the bullpen, and you can never have too many arms. You certainly wouldn’t trade Wilson for bench depth, because that area of the team can be addressed during free agency.

There are very few possible scenarios in which the Angels would benefit from trading Wilson this offseason. 

Dillon Gee

A far more likely arm to be dealt is Dillon Gee, the five-year veteran with good back-end stuff from the New York Mets. He’s just 28, under team control for two more years and can eat innings when healthy.

ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports that Gee is the most likely to be dealt from the trio of himself, Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon: “The Mets are aggressively shopping Dillon Gee to teams in need of a starting pitcher, a high-ranking source at the winter meetings told ESPNNewYork.com.”

Rubin writes that the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers have both expressed interest in Gee.

Gee has only posted a career WAR of 2.5 over parts of five seasons in the bigs, per FanGraphs, so it’s unlikely that he’d draw a huge coup for the Mets. Of course, the organization in rich in pitching talent, so any haul would be beneficial.

Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal tweets that the Amazins definitely won’t be able to address their hole at shortstop by dealing Gee:

They could instead look to acquire bullpen or bench depth, or simply a mid-level prospect who can play the outfield.

Having excess pitching is never a problem. The Mets will improve through trading one (or more) of their veteran starters. It all comes down to what areas they are able to address relative to the available free agents, though.

Matt Harvey’s return gives the organization high hopes for 2015, but the Mets won’t be able to compete if they run out the same lousy offense that they did in 2014.

Cole Hamels

Cole Hamels is one of the many fallback options for the unfortunate teams unable to land Lester, and the Boston Red Sox would definitely be a threat to the rest of the pack in negotiations.

They have a wealth of young talent to offer, including (but not limited to) Xander Bogaerts, Henry Owens, Mookie Betts, Deven Marrero, Matt Barnes, Garin Cecchini and Blake Swihart. All of them are potential impact players at the next level.

Swihart plays a premium position, and the catcher is an attractive bargaining chip should the Red Sox show a willingness to move him. ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes reports that such action probably won’t be necessary, however:

Reading critically helps us to see that the Philadelphia Phillies wouldn’t insist on Swihart. The Red Sox could presumably get a deal done without him, but it might take a higher volume of players. That’s something the organization could be skeptical of doing.

Including Swihart would likely make the Phils more apt to trade, especially with Carlos Ruiz on his last legs and no in-house candidate ready to immediately take over. Cameron Rupp, currently Ruiz’s backup, has shown little skill offensively in the minors or majors.

Hamels is the crown jewel of the trade market when it comes to pitchers. It goes without saying that he’s one of the top southpaws in the game because of his control and ability to get hitters out with his changeup.

He hasn’t started less than 30 games since 2007 and has been considered for the National League Cy Young four times in his career. Those are all the positives.

The negatives really only include the length and value of his current deal. He has $94 million in future salaries through the 2018 season, plus he also has a $20 million team option (or a $24 million vesting option) for the 2019 season, per Baseball-Reference.

This contract could prevent the Phils from getting a blockbuster-type haul, unless, of course, the organization shows a willingness to pick up part of the tab.

Boston appears to be one of the best fits for the player and the organizations involved, so this is a situation to monitor closely in the coming weeks. 

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn

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C.J. Wilson‘s knowledge of the game as well as his stomach were pushed to the limit recently—and all for your entertainment. 

For the Win’s Ted Berg spotted this video of Wilson attempting to answer questions while flying with Kirby Chambliss, who Red Bull’s two-time Air Race world champion.

I guess pitchers will jump at any chance to infuse some drama during the normally mundane days of spring training. Chambliss, according to the YouTube description, took Wilson around his Arizona property in a “two-seater Edge 540 race plane.”

Chambliss started gently, asking Wilson about his playing days and what the best moment of his career has been thus far.

Wilson answers:

Hopefully I haven’t had it yet. I’m always looking for something new, something better. I’d like to throw a no-hitter. That’d be the goal. I’ve thrown like a one-hitter before. Making the All-Star team and pitching in the World Series was pretty exciting.

Getting out of the plane might be up there on his list of accomplishments. 

From there, Chambliss begins asking Wilson a series of extremely easy baseball questions. Spoiler alert: The 33-year-old left-hander doesn’t make it to the end of the five questions. 

It’s not because the questions get any more difficult but because any further examination under these circumstances would have resulted in what professional eaters like to call a “reversal of fortune.”

Right after Chambliss asks what a full count is, he performs a roll that nearly induces a cockpit full of Wlison’s lunch. Wilson explains, “We gotta chill. I almost lost it on that one.”

Hey, at least answered the questions correctly. 

Wilson is coming off a fine 2013 season. Last year he enjoyed a 17-7 record while garnering a 3.39 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, according to ESPN. He has now notched 15 or more wins in three of the last four seasons. 

That would be enough to assume Wilson is destined for great things in 2014. Now we know the pitcher can withstand an onslaught of aerial twists and turns; he even knows how far it is from the mound to home plate. 

Yup, you can go ahead and move him up on your fantasy draft boards accordingly.

Hit me up on Twitter:

Follow @gabezal
 

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Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson has had to endure a long season as his team entered Tuesday’s contest with the Tampa Bay Rays sporting a 58-71 record.

Wilson will now have to endure a lot more than just a tough season.

On his way back to the mound to start the second inning, Wilson saw the Tropicana Field carpet rise above his feet as he fell flat on his face.

OK, maybe the artificial surface didn’t really move, but Wilson could at least try to use that as an excuse, couldn’t he?

The Angels have stumbled through the 2013 season, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see one of their players take a little header of his own. 

Oddly enough, Wilson is one of the few Angels who haven’t stumbled their way through the season. Entering Tuesday’s start, Wilson is 13-6 with a 3.30 ERA, including a 4-0 record in the second half.

Fans on Twitter certainly got a kick out of Wilson’s misfortune.

Needless to say, many could look at Wilson’s face-plant as a microcosm of the Angels’ season as well. 

The Angels’ season will sadly be coming to an end in late September, but Wilson’s little trip-and-fall will likely play on a bit longer than that. 

Well, Wilson can at least say he has played “Head and Shoulders” above the rest of his team, despite meeting the Tropicana Field turf up close and personal. 

If it served at least one purpose, it gave Angels fans something to laugh about in an otherwise dreary year.

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The Los Angeles Angels signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson on the exact same day this past offseason in a stunning turn of events that generated headlines for weeks.

Between the two of them, Pujols got all the attention at the time. He was the true superstar, and it was clearly going to be him who would lead the Angels back to the top of the AL West, and maybe to the World Series too.

Yet here we are nearly three months into the 2012 regular season, and Wilson has been the better signing of the two.

Like, by far.

He hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves, but Wilson is putting together one heck of a season. He currently has the best ERA in the American League, and he hasn’t given up more than one earned run in a start since the middle of May.

Wilson has steadily been moving up in my weekly AL Cy Young award rankings, and he’s reached a new high this week. 

Here’s how the top five is looking right now.

Note: Feel free to check out last week’s rankings.

Begin Slideshow

HIROKI KURODA vs. ERVIN SANTANA compared to C.J. WILSON vs. PHIL HUGHES:

If you looked at Kuroda and Santana’s career stats vs. the active hitters prior to yesterday’s game, the Yankee win was already a lock.

Not taking anything away from Kuroda, but no one foreseen a less than an inning away from a complete game performance considering his last and only two both took place in 2008.

Kuroda also did have some success and experience against Angels Albert Pujols back when he was a Dodger, and that is advantage that the other Yankee starters don’t have.

As for Santana, the majority of the Yankees bats have always whacked the heck out of him except for Swisher, he came into the game with a career .182 average against him. Swisher came into yesterday with a hot and confident bat, which proved lethal.

Still, as a whole the Yankees had hit almost .300 against Santana making the matchup in favor of the Yankees from the get-go; pending that Kuroda as back to his old self.

Looking at this afternoons game, it is just not as cut and dry.

WILSON vs. HUGHES:

Looking at today’s matchup it is not as clear-cut because Phil Hughes’ stats read like a script to Jekyll and Hyde. He went from 2010 All-Star to being almost ineffective last season and now I think he is somewhere in the middle.

And that makes it easy to pick C.J. Wilson as the clear winner, but in baseball it is the unknowns that make it so fun.

Analyzing Hughes is tough; he did show up in shape this spring, and pitched well in camp, but that has yet to carry over.

Hughes didn’t look sharp at all in his first regular season start down in Tampa. He was pulled after throwing 99 pitches in four and two-thirds innings; he allowed two walks, two runs and one homer, while striking out five.

That is why I think the outcome of this game depends heavily on Hughes performance and how he handles Pujols.

As of today, the only thing that Hughes and Pujols share is a love affair with the fastball; Hughes throws it about 62 percent of the time and Pujols hits it all the time.

This could be a potentially big problem for Hughes unless he throws his with a lot of confidence.

He needs to keep his fastball on the outside upper corner, his change-up high, and stop worrying about what the radar gun reads, if he wants to get a hitter like Pujols to swing and miss. Hughes has to mix it up more than normal, as I believe that if he throws his breaking ball more he has a good chance.

Pujols has yet to hit a homer this season, but it will happen and Hughes doesn’t want to be his target practice.

Bottom line is that if Hughes doesn’t throw like it is 2010, the Yankees could be in for a long afternoon.

As for Wilson, he has clocked 164 at-bats with the active Yankees roster, holding them to a .226 batting average. He has given up homers to Jeter and Ibanez in the past but his biggest threat is Robinson Cano, who in 23 career at-bats vs. Wilson he is hitting close to .400.

It will be interesting to see how A-Rod’s hot bat will do against a pitcher who has never given up a homer to him, and has held him to a .111 average.

On the road Wilson posted a 2.25 ERA last season, which was the best in the AL. This might be Wilson’s first season with the Halos, but he got plenty of big game experience against the Yankees in the Bronx when he was with the Rangers.

Wilson got the Halos first win of 2012, as he threw seven innings of one run, three hit ball against the Twins.

Advantage: Wilson unless Hughes dazzles. 

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Tampa Bay just signed slugging first baseman Carlos Pena to a one-year contract for $7.25 million. In the eyes of Jays fans, this is another transaction that will make people ask, “why not Toronto?”

Alex Anthopoulos has been running the club for approximately 2.5 years and for the first time is beginning to hear the rumblings of impatient fans.

All teams in the AL East have made significant improvements. The Yankees just traded for a possible No. 1 starter in Michael Pineda. They also gave up a future franchise superstar in Jesus Montero. The Red Sox, still rife with a powerhouse lineup, lost their All-Star closer, Jonathan Papelbon, but replaced him by signing Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey.

The Jays did make some waves by trading for Sergio Santos in exchange for Nestor Molina and added journeyman reliever Darren Oliver. They also brought back reliable late-inning reliever Jason Frasor. These transactions will strengthen the Jays’ already solid ‘pen. Except perception is reality, and right now the reality in Toronto is that the Jays have not done enough to make a difference.

With one of the premier sluggers in Jose Bautista leading the way as team captain and Ricky Romero, the Jays’ ace, as the face of the franchise, this team is relying on the promise and talent of multiple players to lead it back to the playoffs. Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Colby Rasmus, J.P. Arencibia, Eric Thames and Adam Lind will be key.

At baseball’s winter meetings, the buzz surrounding Yu Darvish was that the Jays were serious contenders in signing him. It turned out they lost out to the Texas Rangers and their $51.7 million bid. At the same time, the AL West has turned into a mirror image of the East with the Angels and Rangers throwing around substantial amounts of money. Albert Pujols ($254 million) and C.J. Wilson ($77.5 million) joining the Angels.

Perception is reality and right now the status quo is average and fourth place.

With the big three in the AL East wheeling and dealing, it does become frustrating to the fans and viewers at home when they can almost guarantee where this team will finish next season. I, for one, feel that way. I wrote many times last year that Toronto was in a position to contend for the wild-card spot, but things changed dramatically and the hope for that has been washed away.

I don’t say this as a fan who is angry that the hometown team hasn’t made the playoffs in almost 20 years. It comes from someone who knows baseball and gets frustrated when I read something like this from the National Post.

“But if you want to be impatient, here’s what you need to be impatient with. Rogers Communications, the Jays owner, has clearly given this team specific payroll parameters, and they won’t move much until the revenues move first, and Anthopoulos can’t do much to control either one. All he can do is this: he can scrimp and save and wheedle his way to a team so good that when he goes to his bosses and asks for the money to make a good team a contender, he has pushed the parameters of what Rogers will give. That’s it.”

Instead of getting annoyed and frustrated with the state of your team, maybe there is nothing to get upset about. Baseball is a business, right? And if a business is not making any money, you cut costs until you create the right formula.

Perception is reality. In this case, it’s dead on.

Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective

Devon is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies, and is now an independent scout.

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I am talking about the new evil empire called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who dropped a bomb at the MLB Winter Meetings with the signings of Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson.

Pujols will be making $250 million over the next 10 years; while Wilson will be paid $77.5 million over the next five years.

If the Angels’ new pricey transports work out like the 2009 New York Yankees, the Halos are banking on being World Series-bound in 2012, literally.

It must be a wretched day in St. Louis, Mo. My heart goes out the Cardinals fans who lost the face of their franchise today, as Pujols took money over loyalty and that hurts, no doubt about it.

Pujols is the West Coast’s version of A-Rod, which would make him A-Jols?

Need a better nickname than that, but you can’t fake the Yankees without an A-something, and the Halos got themselves an expensive one.

Since Rangers fans have only been around for like three years, who cares, but supposedly their offer to Wilson was no comparison to Anaheim’s, according to Wilson. Boo hoo.

Now not to worry, Yankee fans, as it will take the Halos at least a decade more of overspending, while winning four more World Series, for them to ever catch the boys in the Bronx.

Hey, the Bombers are still the rightful owners of the highest paid player ever in Alex Rodriguez, so take that, Angels.

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