Two years ago, Brian Wilson established himself as one of the best closers in baseball by saving 48 games in the regular season and then helping the San Francisco Giants win the World Series.
Now he’s out of a job after being non-tendered, and he’s looking for a team to take a chance on him less than a year removed from the second Tommy John operation of his career.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle hinted last week that Wilson won’t be coming back to the Giants until he’s exhausted all other possibilities. The good news for him, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, is that he’s expected to get an opportunity to be a closer again in 2013.
But where might said opportunity come from? Which teams are not only willing to sign a potential closer, but willing to roll the dice on Wilson?
There are eight that spring to mind.
Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Salary and payroll information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.