With all of the talk surrounding a possible Manny trade, Clemente and Arroyo being on the block and guys like Coco Crisp or Jeremy Reed coming to town, what is going on with David Wells? Look at the guy! He is a legitimate bad-ass, and by the way, he can still pitch.
Last season Wells made 30 starts, pitched 184+ innings, won 15 games, and had a decent 4.45 ERA. And he’s a lefty, and he “only” made 4 million last year. Clemente had a slightly worse ERA, won 2 less games, mad 6.5 million and got his clock cleaned in the post-season (Wells pitched 7+ and gave up 2 ER’s in his post-season start). What am I missing here?
Any GM with a stable of young arms should be looking for a veteran pitcher for his staff. Sure, the guy is 50 years old, isn’t going to win any hygiene or fitness awards and has questionable off-field “hobbies” but he is still a decent pitcher. I’m confused why teams would want Clement over Wells, or why the Sox aren’t shopping Wells more aggressively considering they know he wants out.
Personally, I’d love to see Wells hang around Fenway for another year. He brings a great “personality” to the game without the high maintenance that usually goes along with it. And there’s always the hope of the Bud Selig versus David Wells steel cage match.
