Tigers acquire Jack Wilson - no

Detroit Tigers acquire SS Jack Wilson from Pirates
by Dan Graziano
Thursday December 04, 2008, 12:06 PM

It seems to be the week for shortstop roulette on the Hot Stove, and the latest is that the Pirates have sent Jack Wilson to the Tigers.

The teams had been in discussions for a while, but according to a person familiar with the deal, it is done. It's unclear what the Pirates get in return.

In the past couple of days, the Padres dealt SS Khalil Greene to the Cardinals and the Giants appear to have signed SS Edgar Renteria. Free-agent SS Rafael Furcal sounds as if he's about to sign with the Oakland A's.

Jack Wilson (click for stats)

Jack Eugene Wilson (born December 29, 1977 in Westlake Village, California) is a shortstop in Major League Baseball who has played with the Pittsburgh Pirates since 2001. He bats and throws right-handed.

In an eight-season career, Wilson has compiled a .269 batting average with 56 home runs and 358 RBI in 1084 games.

Wilson is one of the better defensive shortstops in the game. His glovework has been compared favorably with several former Pirate shortstops known for their defense, such as Dick Groat, Gene Alley and Jay Bell. He has outstanding range, particularly in the hole, great hands, a good throwing arm, and has sound reflexes and instincts for the game.

Early career

High School career

Wilson attended Thousand Oaks High School in Thousand Oaks, California and was a letterman in baseball. In baseball, he posted a batting average of .581 as a junior. He also played soccer and was a kicker on the football team.

College career

Wilson played for two seasons at Oxnard Junior College, the same baseball program that produced major leaguers Terry Pendleton, Josh Towers, Paul McAnulty and others. He was coached by Pat Woods, Jon Larsen, Roger Frash and Buster Staniland.

Professional career

Originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1998 amateur draft, Wilson was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2000 midseason and made his major league debut a year later. He was signed by Cardinals scout Chuck Fick.

Wilson had almost identical seasons in 2002 and 2003, hitting .252 with 22 doubles in 147 games and .256, 21, 150,respectively.

2004
Wilson hitting his ninth home run of the 2007 season at PNC Park

Wilson easily enjoyed the finest season of his brief career in 2004 as he set career highs in almost every category. He posted a .308 average, shared the league lead in triples with 12 (along with Jimmy Rollins), scored 82 runs, hit 41 doubles with 11 home runs and 49 RBI, and collected 201 hits (3rd in the league) in 157 games, including 56 multi-hit games. To cap it off he ended the year with a season-high 12-game hitting streak (17-for-46, .370). After hitting eighth in the batting order for most of his career, he became a fixture in the second slot.

With his 201 hits, Wilson became just the ninth National League shortstop to collect 200 hits in a season; the franchise's first player since Dave Parker (1977), and the first Pirates shortstop since Hall of Famer Honus Wagner (1908). Wilson also became the first Pirates player to collect 10 or more doubles, triples and home runs in the same season since Andy Van Slyke (1992).

Defensively, Wilson led National League shortstops in assists (492) and total chances (743); his 129 double plays led all major league shortstops and broke the club record of 128 — set by Gene Alley in 1966 — and went 31 straight contests without making an error. Wilson was named for the 2004 All-Star Game and won the Silver Slugger at shortstop. He was also the Pirates' representative in the Roberto Clemente Award balloting.

2005

In December 2004, Wilson was hospitalized for an appendectomy. Despite the setback, he was optimistic at spring training 2005. At 6-foot, 175-pound, Wilson had regained six of the 15 pounds he lost. However, he started the season poorly, hitting just .163 in April and .227 for the first half of the season, and acknowledged that he hadn't been fully recovered when the season started. Late season improvements to his hitting brought his cumulative season numbers to near his career averages, but still well below the standards he had set in 2004. He finished the year with a .257 batting average, a .299 on-base percentage, and a .363 slugging percentage, compared to his career highs of .308, .335, and .459 respectively the year before.

His defense, however, did not seem to suffer. For the second straight year he led all shortstops in the National League (and, in fact, all of baseball) in assists (523), total chances (783), and double plays (126). Largely because of Wilson and fellow defensive standout second baseman José Castillo, the Pirates turned more double plays in 2005 than any National League team save the Cardinals.

Wilson is a very good SS. Rated a plus player.

Don't know if the Tigers have him yet though...

No Jack Wilson Deal

By Tim Dierkes [December 4, 2008 at 2:30pm CST]

2:30pm: Jenifer Langosch talked to Wilson, who said he's open to revising his no-trade list. He doesn't seem likely to veto a trade.

12:41pm: Jon Paul Morosi's source says the Tigers' talks for Wilson have become "more active and meaningful" recently.

12:14pm: Dejan Kovacevic
talked to Pirates president Frank Coonelly, who said Wilson has not been traded. The Tigers apparently made an interesting offer last night for Wilson, but the Dodgers remain in the mix. Wilson would have to approve a trade to the Tigers, and he and his agent haven't been informed of anything.

11:15am: According to Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger, the Tigers acquired shortstop Jack Wilson from the Pirates today. We'll update the post as more info comes in.

Wilson, 31 later this month, hit .272/.312/.348 in 330 plate appearances this year while playing his typical excellent defense. He's set to earn $7.25MM in '09 and has an $8.4MM club option for '10 with a $600K buyout.

12/04/08 2:43 PM EST
Wilson willing to revisit no-trade clause
Pirates shortstop open to allowing deal to Tigers

By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com

PITTSBURGH -- On Thursday, Jack Wilson had to laugh about the flurry of voicemails he received in the minutes after the Newark Star-Ledger Web site posted a report that Wilson had been traded to the Tigers just after noon ET.

"Amazing, huh?" he joked.

While Pirates and Tigers officials quickly debunked the validity of the Star-Ledger story, Wilson continues to wait, cognizant of the fact that he is still the most likely Pittsburgh player to be dealt this offseason.

However, if a deal with Detroit does eventually come to fruition, Wilson will have some say. The Tigers are one of the six teams listed in Wilson's no-trade clause, though Wilson said on Thursday that he would be open to revising that list, which was formed years ago.

"I'm open to anything," Wilson said. "If the Pirates are in the position where they are ready to trade me, then it means that they have already made plans to move on without me.

"It's a family decision for me. I have to talk with my family before any decision would be made, but I'm open to pretty much anything."

In other words, it would be surprising if Wilson did reject a proposed trade to the Tigers.

Wilson will be in Las Vegas during the Winter Meetings next week as part of an previously planned trip. However, with the interest that both the Dodgers and Tigers have in the veteran shortstop, there's a good chance that he'll be having an impromptu press conference before the Meetings are over.

Wilson, the longest-tenured player on the club, has already prepared himself for leaving Pittsburgh, a city that he has called home since 2000. Though he missed the last month of the '08 season with a fracture in the tip of his right index finger, Wilson pinch-hit in the team's final home game at PNC Park just in case and left to a standing ovation.

"If it ends like that, then there's no better way to end it and having people recognize you and applause and stuff like that," Wilson said after the Sept. 21 game.

Wilson's most likely destinations are still Detroit or Los Angeles. The Tigers nearly acquired Wilson in a 2007 Trade Deadline deal and have continued to pursue the veteran shortstop since. The fact that Detroit has a young shortstop, Cale Iorg, likely only one year away from the Majors, makes Wilson an intriguing short-term fit.

A Major League source confirmed on Thursday that discussions between Detroit and Pittsburgh are ongoing, though the two sides are not yet close to announcing a deal.

The Dodgers remain in pursuit of Wilson as well, with the Pirates appear set on requiring that young Dodgers shortstop Chin-Lung Hu be included in any deal.

Wilson is in line to make $7.25 million in 2009 and has an $8.4 million club option for '10.

While Wilson waits to learn which Spring Training camp he'll be arriving at in February, the eight-year veteran has gotten a jump-start on his offseason workout plans. His index finger has fully recovered from the hairline fracture he suffered.

"I missed a month, so I didn't want to miss any other time," he said. "I got right back to working out in October."

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

12/04/08 1:39 PM EST
Tigers, Bucs say no deal yet for Wilson
Veteran shortstop remains longest-tenured Pirates player

By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com

PITTSBURGH -- Pirates president Frank Coonelly and Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski have denied a report has denied a report on the Newark Star-Ledger Web site Thursday afternoon citing that the Pirates and Tigers have worked out a trade that will send Jack Wilson to Detroit, but talks between the two clubs appear to be heating up.

"It is not accurate," Dombrowski said. "I can 100 percent tell you that."

When contacted by MLB.com, Wilson's agent, Page Odle, also denied that any deal had been finalized.

The Star-Ledger report had cited a "person familiar with the deal" as the source for the information. The newspaper stated no details of who else may be included in the deal.

The Pirates and Tigers have been in trade discussions centering around Wilson for some time now. Detroit made a serious run at Wilson at the 2007 Trade Deadline and had revisited the idea of acquiring Wilson at the end of this season, when it decided to part ways with shortstop Edgar Renteria.

Those discussions are ongoing, however, according to one Major League Baseball official, as the two sides are still not close to an agreement, and are not expected to be making a deal on Thursday.

Ideally, the Pirates would like to net a young shortstop in return for Wilson, as well as at least one other prospect. However, a deal for young talent that does not include a young shortstop in return will not be ruled out.

Wilson, a defensive specialist and the longest-tenured member on the Pirates club, hit .272 with 22 RBIs in an injury-plagued 2008 campaign. All eight of his years in the Majors have come with Pittsburgh, where Wilson has compiled 199 doubles, 358 RBIs and a .269 batting average.

He is owed $7.25 million in 2009, with a club option for 2010.

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I merged the topic from the current players thread to this because it doesn't appear the Tigers are going to get Wilson.

I'm not sure if I'm all that excited about him. He hits for a decent average with little power and is a slightly better-than-average fielder.

Of course we may or may not have him...

12/04/08 5:52 PM EST
Tigers back on the prowl for Wilson
Veteran Pirates shortstop again on Detroit's wish list

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers and Pirates rekindled discussions on a possible trade to send Jack Wilson to Detroit, reigniting interest that has been long chronicled but never consummated.

At this point, though, they still do not have a trade, and there are mixed signals whether they have a good shot at one.

The Newark Star-Ledger, citing a source familiar with the deal, reported Thursday afternoon that the two clubs agreed on a Wilson trade, a report that Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski and Pirates president Frank Coonelly both quickly denied.

"It is not accurate," Dombrowski said. "I can 100 percent tell you that."

Three industry sources indicated Thursday that no deal is close. One estimated the chances at any deal at just 10 percent. Still, another source indicated discussions are ongoing, and there is mutual interest in a trade.

The Dodgers have also been reported to have serious interest in Wilson, and the expectation is that it's a matter of when and where Wilson is traded, not if. It's possible that interest on the Tigers' part would allow Pittsburgh to create some competition for Los Angeles.

Wilson's agent, Page Odle, said Thursday he has not been contacted about any trade and hasn't had any discussions about Detroit. If the Pirates do find a match with the Tigers, they'll have to talk to Odle first. Detroit is one of six teams listed in a limited no-trade clause negotiated into the three-year, $20.2 million contract extension Wilson signed in 2006.

That approval doesn't appear to be a major obstacle. Wilson told MLB.com on Thursday that he would consider revisiting his no-trade list.

"I'm open to anything," Wilson said. "If the Pirates are in the position where they are ready to trade me, then it means that they have already made plans to move on without me.

"It's a family decision for me. I have to talk with my family before any decision would be made, but I'm open to pretty much anything."

A bigger problem, however, could be the money. Though Wilson's contract fits the profile of the short-term solution Detroit wants, his $7.25 million salary for next season is a difficult fit for a team looking to keep its payroll around the same level as last year despite a half-dozen arbitration cases looming. Wilson has a $8.25 million club option for 2010 with a $600,000 buyout.

The possibility of Wilson in a Tigers uniform began around the July 2007 Trade Deadline, when Detroit was looking for a full-time shortstop to allow Carlos Guillen to shift over to first base. Guillen has shifted to two more positions since then, but the Tigers have struggled to find a replacement at short.

Detroit dealt for Edgar Renteria the day after the 2007 World Series, hoping to fill the void with the veteran National Leaguer. However, while Renteria recovered from a slow start to hit respectably, his drop in defensive range became a source of concern in Detroit. The Tigers didn't exercise his contract option at season's end, making him a free agent, and they chose not to offer him arbitration on Monday. The Giants announced a two-year contract with Renteria on Thursday.

Injuries limited Wilson to 87 games this year, during which he batted .272 with one home run and 22 RBIs. His 4.91 range factor at shortstop, however, was the highest of his eight-year Major League career.

The Tigers' pursuit of Wilson rekindled only recently. That's likely a result of both the Pirates' willingness to deal him and the Tigers' struggles to find other options at short. They've been linked in interest this offseason to Boston's Julio Lugo and San Diego's Khalil Greene. The Padres were reportedly close to dealing Greene to the Cardinals on Thursday.

The Associated Press reported on Thursday that the Tigers have shown recent interest in free agent Adam Everett, another sure-handed shortstop, who was limited by injuries last year with the Twins.

The Pirates are believed to be seeking a young shortstop if they do trade Wilson. The problem with that on Detroit's side is that the Tigers want their young shortstop prospects to eventually take over the starting job, making whomever they acquire a one- or two-year placeholder.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I hope the Tigers don't make this trade



Santiago would be better at short

full time at SS taint gonna happen, not with Leyland and DD.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

full time at SS taint gonna happen, not with Leyland and DD.

Tigers are discussing Adam Everett as an option for SS.

bobrob2004 wrote:

Tigers are discussing Adam Everett as an option for SS.

I WOULD RATHER HAVE WILSON

Wilson could restructure contract for Dodgers
Tigers also in mix, make fresh offer for Pirates' shortstop
Friday, December 05, 2008
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
(Saturday December 6, 2008 Edition)


The Detroit Tigers ramped up their pursuit of Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson, but the Los Angeles Dodgers remain very much in the mix.

And the latter is the case, in large part, because of money matters.

Wilson has informed the Pirates that he is amenable to renegotiating the final two years of his contract to facilitate a trade to the Dodgers, a team source confirmed yesterday. He is due $7.25 million in 2009 and has an $8.4 million club option for the following year, with a $600,000 buyout. The Dodgers apparently would be willing to guarantee both years for a total in the range of $12 million.

It was not clear, however, if Wilson's offer to renegotiate would apply to other teams, including Detroit. Los Angeles is special to him because he is a native and resident of southern California. He and wife Julie have three young children.

That could disrupt a trade to the Tigers, who are citing payroll pressure in asking the Pirates to take on some of Wilson's salary. The Pirates, adamant that they are eager to make good baseball trades, have told teams they will assume some salary if it upgrades what they receive in talent, but their obvious preference would be to have Wilson address that issue himself by renegotiating.

Wilson holds another card -- Detroit is one of six teams included in his limited no-trade clause -- but he is displaying no intent of using it.

"I don't think that's going to be an issue with me, really," Wilson said. "I loved my time in Pittsburgh, as everyone knows, but I'm not going to block a move."

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, as per standard policy, does not comment specifically on potential personnel moves. He acknowledged in an interview last week that he was discussing Wilson with a few teams.

The Pirates and Dodgers began a fresh round of talks Saturday, one that still focused on two prospects -- shortstop Chin-Lung Hu and outfielder Delwyn Young -- but mostly revolved around Wilson's contract.

The Tigers, who have been discussing Wilson with the Pirates for more than a month, came back Wednesday night with a fresh offer, one that apparently was strong enough to cause a stir in the Pirates' front office. One source said the Pirates recently were scouting first base prospect Jeff Larish in the Arizona Fall League. Larish, 26, is a left-handed power type who batted .250 with 21 home runs and 64 RBIs last season for Class AAA Toledo.

The Newark Star-Ledger erroneously reported on its Web site yesterday morning that Wilson had been traded to Detroit, but denials were strong all around, including from Pirates president Frank Coonelly and Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski.

Dombrowski, like Huntington, declined comment on Wilson, but he long has coveted him. That includes the July 31 trading deadline of 2007, when Dombrowski offered Class AA pitching prospect Jair Jurrjens to the Pirates for Wilson and was rejected by Dave Littlefield, the Pirates' general manager at the time. Jurrjens, now 22, eventually was traded to Atlanta and just completed a fine rookie season for the Braves, going 13-10 with a 3.68 ERA.

The Associated Press reported that the Tigers are eyeing free-agent shortstop Adam Everett if they do not acquire Wilson.

Wilson, 30, batted .272 with one home run and 22 RBIs in 87 games, his season cut in half by a badly strained left calf that put him on the disabled list for the first time in his career. He is the Pirates' most tenured player, and his 1,054 games at shortstop rank fifth on the franchise's all-time list.

He is spending much of his time these days communicating with anyone he can, including teammates, about where he might play next year.

"Right now, all I can do is wait and see," Wilson said.

The Pirates have no viable internal replacement at shortstop should Wilson be traded, although management is holding out hope that youngsters Brian Bixler and Luis Cruz, each of whom has had some success at Class AA, still can blossom.

If he stays, Wilson will be the Pirates' highest-paid player next season.


NOTES -- The Pirates yesterday announced they are freezing prices of single-game tickets for 2009, having previously announced that season-ticket prices would be reduced. "We believe that freezing the prices of individual-game tickets for the 2009 season was the appropriate thing to do in light of the difficult economic climate," Coonelly said. The team also will continue its season-ticket plan of buying 10 games for the price of eight. Single-game tickets go on sale Feb. 21. ... Pitcher John Van Benschoten, cut loose by the Pirates last month, has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. ... The Pirates' average salary of $1.2 million in 2008 was second lowest in Major League Baseball, according to the players association report released yesterday. Only the Florida Marlins were lower, at $868,000.

Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com
First published on December 5, 2008 at 12:00 am, Updated: 2:34 a.m. Sat.

Pirates eye Detroit power-hitters
Joyce, Larish discussed as part of Wilson trade
Saturday, December 06, 2008
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates are eyeing two power-hitting types, outfielder Matt Joyce and first baseman Jason Larish, in the Detroit system as part of a potential trade with the Tigers for shortstop Jack Wilson.

Joyce, 23, broke into the majors last season and batted .252 with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs in 92 games. With Class AAA Toledo, he batted .270 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs.

Larish, 26, batted .250 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs for Toledo.

The Pirates would not get both players. A pitching prospect also could be in the mix.

It remains to be seen how much Detroit is willing to give up, even if the Pirates pick up some of Wilson's remaining $7.85 million in guaranteed money or if Wilson would restructure his contract, as he has made known he would do with a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers. His family lives in southern California, but he has no issue with going to Detroit.

The Tigers have scheduled a meeting with free-agent shortstop Adam Everett at the Winter Meetings that begin Monday in Las Vegas, perhaps a sign that they are discouraged by talks regarding Wilson.

The Pirates yesterday set the stage for possible moves at the Winter Meetings by clearing two spots on what had been a full 40-man roster with the outright assignments of starter Jason Davis and catcher Raul Chavez to Class AAA Indianapolis.

Each player has the right to refuse the assignment and declare himself a minor league free agent, though general manager Neal Huntington has expressed a wish to have each return.

Davis, 28, made 14 appearances in Pittsburgh, including four starts, and went 2-4 with a 5.29 ERA. He would have been eligible for salary arbitration had he been tendered a major league contract offer.

Chavez, 35, took Ronny Paulino's job as Ryan Doumit's backup by June and batted .259 with 10 RBIs in 42 games. He, too, would have been eligible for arbitration.

The open spots also could come in handy for the Rule 5 draft Thursday. The Pirates are expected to take at least one player.


NOTES -- The Pirates gave out their first non-roster spring invitation of the offseason, signing left-handed reliever Daniel Haigwood to a minor league contract. Haigwood, 25, had a 3.36 ERA, 70 strikeouts and 42 walks in 38 appearances for Class AA Portland in the Boston Red Sox system. He never has pitched above that level. ... Center fielder Maiko Loyola, 23, was signed to play for Indianapolis. He batted .280 with five home runs and 44 RBIs for Class A Columbus. ... Three international amateurs -- shortstops Ashley Ponce and Jorge Bishop, and left-handed pitcher Julio Denis -- were signed for the Venezuelan Summer League.

Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com
First published on December 6, 2008 at 12:00 am

Larish - maybe, Joyce - NO! (Jason? Joyce, hmmmm) I think it is Jeff.....

I wouldn't give up much for Wilson. He isn't that good and costs a ton of money.

catbox_9 wrote:

I wouldn't give up much for Wilson. He isn't that good and costs a ton of money.

I'd give up Matt Joyce and Luis Marte for Wilson with Pittsburgh picking up $4 million of Wilson's contract.

How is Wilson's health? Has anyone discussed that yet?

tigersaint wrote:

How is Wilson's health? Has anyone discussed that yet?

Pittsburgh says ok, but I don't know.

I think it would be better to have Wilson and Santiago then just Santiago, just platoon them and see what happens.

Wilson seems to be out of the running. Dang. I would rather have him than Everett.