Jack Wilson Will Re-Do Contract to Land in LA

The

~~big~~

somewhat interesting news of the day yesterday was that the Tigers acquired Jack Wilson from the Pirates. We later found out the report was premature, but where there's smoke, there's fire, right? Surely it was just a matter of time before the two teams pulled the trigger ...

As it turns out, no, that's not the case at all. Wilson has a limited no-trade clause that includes the Tigers, so if he wants, he can completely block a trade to the Motor City. It's not clear if he'd actually do so, but we do know that he's willing to (potentially) leave a little money on the table to make sure a trade to the Dodgers goes through. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the details:

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.

As Kovacevic points out, Wilson is a native and resident of Southern California, so it's not surprising that he'd want to live there year-round. Plus, when you look at the big picture, this is actually a great deal for him. He hit a hollow .272 (77 OPS+) last year, and barring a sudden comeback, it's unlikely the Dodgers would want him at $8.4 million in 2010. But an even $6 million a season? That's a bit easier to swallow. Stay tuned, this one could be completed soon -- the odds of a third team throwing their hat in the ring are extremely small.