Brian Wilson just lost himself a lot of Bay Area fans.
The former Giants closer, who has not pitched in over a calendar year, has agreed to and will soon sign a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The move was first reported by Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown and later confirmed by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.
Wilson, a Londonderry, N.H., native, was arguably the most dominant bullpen arm in baseball just a few short years ago. He earned three All-Star nods in four years from 2008 to 2011 and converted a league-best 48 of 53 save opportunities during San Francisco’s World Series run in 2010.
Injuries derailed Wilson’s Giants career, however, as he appeared in just two games last season before being shut down to undergo Tommy John surgery. Since breaking into the majors in 2006, the 31-year-old has saved 71 games, posting a 3.21 career ERA and striking out 340 batters in 320 innings.
But for all his prowess on the mound, Wilson was most well known for his eccentric personality and unrivaled facial hair, which Brown reports is still very much intact.
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According to Brown, Wilson will report to the Dodgers’ team facility and Arizona with the hopes of being ready to return to the majors “in about two weeks.” He’s expected to serve as the set-up man for closer Kenley Jansen, who has converted 14 of 17 save opportunities this season.
