Five MLB Players in Need of a “Crank”-Style Rejuvenation

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Crank treatment: Defibrillator shock
A former Rookie of the Year and 20-game winner, Willis started struggling in 2006, but still was a respectable 12-12 with a 3.87 ERA. However, he led the majors with 19 hit batsmen, a sign of things to come.

Traded to Detroit and signed to a big extension in 2007, Willis began falling apart, going 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA that year and getting sent down to Single-A in 2008 after several disastrous starts.

After a shaky spring, the Tigers placed Willis on the DL this year for treatment of an anxiety disorder, which sounds strange considering that one of Willis' most-endearing qualities was his upbeat, friendly nature.

Even Willis has said he's unsure about what's going on, stating, "I'm not crazy." Still, it seems hard to imagine that Willis will pitch this year for the Tigers, but with $22 million left on his deal, Detroit's going to want something out of the lefty.

Player: Andruw Jones

Crank treatment: Jump out of plane with no parachute

There are bad seasons, and then there's Andruw Jones' 2008 season—arguably the worst season of all time by a reputable player. Fat, listless and lost, Jones hit an embarrassing .158 with three HR before the Dodgers essentially told him to go away for the rest of the year.

How could one of the league's top players (if not slightly overrated) completely fall off the face of the Earth? Things got so bad for Jones that he signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Rangers for this season that paid him $500,000—a far cry from the $36 million deal he got from the Dodgers a year prior.

Jones has actually been a productive player in spot duty with Texas, hitting .500 in 14 at-bats. He's been doing and saying the right things to repair his reputation, but it's going to take a lot more to prove that the Jones who essentially stole money from the Dodgers last year isn't going to go splat when given an everyday job.

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