Pittsburgh signed SS-R Jack Wilson to a two-year, $8M contract last week. The new deal should buyout his remaining seasons of arbitration-eligibility. Wilson still does not exercise satisfactory patience at the plate, but he improved his contact rate last season, which led to a bump in his batting average. Without better plate discipline, he likely will remain vulnerable to slumps. His SLG also increased, however most of that progress resulted from additional doubles and triples rather than home runs, indicating enhanced baserunning skills, as supported by his improved SB%, as opposed to power growth. I question whether Wilson will earn his money, but given the current market and the arbitration process, the Pirates probably could not have kept him for much less.

Wilson underwent an emergency appendectomy on December 21st after his appendix burst. He spent five days in the hospital and two weeks in bed, reportedly losing 15 pounds following the surgery. While Pittsburgh expects him to be ready for spring training, the 27-year-old will not be able to perform his normal off-season workout program. Hopefully, the Pirates will make him ease into things, since rushing back could extend his recovery time.