The biggest knock on Wilson is his ineffectiveness in the postseason. He is the first pitcher ever to have lost a game in the divisional and league championship series, the World Series, and an all-star game in the same season.
Known for his quirkiness and his verbosity, a dangerous combination, C.J. Wilson has lots of fans, and many of the Rangers faithful would hate to see him go. But, to many others, he has disappointed in the playoffs two years in a row.
The Rangers believe it is a team who will compete for several years at the highest level, so a shut-down pitcher for the playoffs is a priority. Wilson just may not fit the bill.
A Probable Good-bye
Talk of moving Neftali Feliz out of his closing role and into the starting rotation probably does not have legs. The experiment worked with Alexi Ogando, but the extra innings he pitched as a starter is believed to have taken a toll on him late in the season and in the World Series. Speculation is that Feliz could lose a few miles per hour on his fastball by pitching in the starting rotation, and he has not yet developed a strikeout pitch to use if his fastball isn’t up to speed.
The chances are good that Wilson will pitch somewhere besides Arlington, Texas, next year. Considered to be one of the hottest commodities on the free agency market this offseason, some team will offer him more money and a longer contract than what the Rangers are willing to do.
It is not because the pockets aren’t deep enough, but in the overall calculation of one pitcher’s value to a team, Rangers management is likely to bow out of the competition early with a lowball contract offer and roll the dice again this year to acquire just enough pitching and hitting talent to make another run for the pennant. With a young pitching staff and one of the best farm systems, the Texas Rangers want to win next year, but it is far from selling its soul.
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