C.J. Wilson Signing Doesn't Bring Los Angeles Angels Closer to Championship

If you are a fan of the Los Angeles Angels and overpaying for free agents, then Thursday is going to be the best day of your life. The latest splash that the Halos made is the acquisition of C.J. Wilson, who will get a five-year deal worth $75 million, according to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman. 

This news came just about an hour after the team got Albert Pujols to agree to a 10-year contract. While I can understand the allure of both Wilson and Pujols, do these two pieces really make them championship contenders?

Pujols certainly has the ability to lead an offense, though, the Angels have to fill in a lot of pieces around him to actually force opposing pitchers to throw him the ball. 

Wilson, on the other hand, is getting paid like a No. 2 starter, and he certainly has the potential to live up to that, but the odds are against him. He picked the right year to hit free agency because he is coming off of his best season and the pitching market was so incredibly thin that he was always going to be the best option. 

The problem with this deal is that the Angels didn't need starting pitching help, or at least they didn't have to spend the kind of money they did on Wilson to fill out their rotation. They finished first in the American League in ERA last year (3.57) and second in starters' ERA (3.59).

Wilson is not likely to duplicate his 2011 performance again because his walk total was the lowest of his career by far (2.98/9 IP). If that number goes back up to his career rate of 3.75, he is not likely to post an ERA under 3.00 again.

The Angels signed Wilson like they needed another starting pitcher to win a championship. They don't, and he is not the answer. They would have been better off allocating those resources into adding another hitter. 

This is a lateral move, at best, and one that the Angels did not have to make in order to contend in 2012.