Bye-bye Bullets: Veteran SP Wilkinson Released After Another Horrendous Start
Agent had made clear he'd refuse demotion
Chicago, June 30, 2051 - Perhaps it was inevitable, but if felt surprising nonetheless: the Black Sox have unceremoniously released veteran starting pitcher Jim "Bullets" Wilkinson after his latest meltdown on the mound.
Adios, BulletsWilkinson was a second overall draft pick of the Hawaii Tropics back in 2038. He was later traded to Charm City in 2042, then to the Black Sox in 2046. During his tenure with the Black Sox, Wilkinson had been a very reliable #2 in the rotation, with a 57-47 record and 3.69 ERA and a nearly 15 WAR over four seasons.
This says it allThe team then notified Wilkinson that he would be designated for assignment, to be outrighted off the 40-man and sent to AAA Carolina. But his agent, Scott "Scotty" Boras IV, said Bullets would refuse demotion, which was his contractual right. "No way was he riding a bus," said Scotty.
This gave GM Mike Dunn three options: work a trade, release Wilkinson outright, or stash him in the bullpen to be used only in low-leverage situations.
A trade would prove difficult, since it is unlikely a club would want to take on the remainder of the contract ($11.6 million next year and a $2.4 million buyout the following year) for a guy who was 31 and could no longer command the strike zone.
Stashing him in the pen was not ideal, because they'd still need to keep him around next season, clogging up the pen, the active roster and the 40-man (unless Wilkinson decided to take his player opt out after this year -- but that was also thought to be unlikely given how poorly he'd been performing).
That left the team with the obvious choice -- to release Wilkinson outright. Dunn reasoned that the team could absorb the financial hit -- roughly $6 million this year, $11.6 million next year and $2.4 million (the buyout price) in '53. All together, the team is eating just under $20 million with Wilkson's release. But the club is flush with cash and is projected to turn a $14 million profit this season even after the Wilkinson deal adds dead money. And the impact in the next two years can be mitigated by tapping into the club's bonus cash.
The primary reason the front office opted to release Bullets was that it frees up tremendous salary cap space before the trade deadline -- giving GM Dunn a lot more wiggle room to work more trades that would help the team down the stretch. Before the release, the club had only $1.8 million in cap space. Now it has more than $13 million in breathing room -- a substantial amount that will keep the Black Sox in trade talks.
Wilkinson was given the news this morning and cleared out his locker quickly, with saying goodbye to longtime teammates. He has not responded to our calls and text messages.
Say his name three times
real fast
This move marks the latest attempt to shore up the team's starting rotation, its weakest area. In recent weeks the club returned Rule 5 SP Ramiro Medina to Twin Cities after 12 mediocre starts, then demoted struggling prospect Malik Bin Adnan.
This also says it all"We are certainly not done improving this roster," said Schroeder. "We still can smell the division title." And as Wilkinson's fate proved, even veterans' jobs aren't safe if they fail to perform.
