Wire Taps: 2011 MLB Winter Meetings - Did Washington Nationals Offer C.J. Wilson A Six-Year Deal?

After SI.com's Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) reported this weekend that he was, "hearing the Nationals are going to push for C.J. Wilson. They want a lefty, and apparently thats their top target," and followed up on that information with a Tweet on Sunday in which he said that, "others teams [were] viewing Nationals as early favorite for [C.J. Wilson]. Wash, Tor, Miami seen as probable big spenders at meetings," sources told MLB.com's Bill Ladson left-hander Mark Buehrle was the Nats' real target and, "As far as C.J. Wilson is concerned, a team source for the Nationals indicated that the left-hander is not a top target." Something may have changed since last night...

"The source went so far as to say the Nats are unwilling to give Wilson a huge deal," the MLB.com writer added. In a report tonight at FOXSports.com, Jon Morosi wrote at the end of an article entitled, "Interest in C.J. Wilson intensifies", that though the Angels, Rangers and Marlins remained interested in the 31-year-old soon-to-be-former Texas Rangers' left-hander, "The Nationals have been viewed as a suitor for Wilson, but sources have downplayed their interest in recent days." Meanwhile, SI.com's Will Carroll (@InjuryExpert) wrote on Sunday that the Nationals were getting annoyed, "Nats seem to be frustrated that no one wants their money. Shifting to trade market, keeping same goal."

On Monday afternoon, reports out of Texas from the Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson noted that the Rangers were still in the mix trying to hold on to their '01 5th Round pick, but in order to do so, Mr. Wilson wrote, they might have to up their offer, "The Rangers are one of five teams in the hunt for free-agent left-hander C.J. Wilson, but they might have to offer six years to snag him."

"A major-league source said that one of the other four suitors has made an offer of six years," Mr. Wilson wrote. Were the Nationals going hard after C.J. Wilson? Around the same time, SI.com's Mr. Carroll reported on the Twitter (@InjuryExpert) that he heard Washington was going for it, "Nats finally acting. Big offer to cj Wilson. Source tells me like his fit with rotation, team." Within the last few minutes, MLB Network Radio host Jim Duquette's (@Jim_Duquette) sources told him that it was the Nationals. "Source- Nationals have offered a 6th year to CJ Wilson."

• No word from the Nationals as of 9:35 pm EST tonight. We'll update if there's any new information. WIll the Nationals bring C.J. Wilson to the nation's capital? Wilson went to the World Series with the Rangers for the second-straight year in 2011, losing both times, but the lefty finished his seventh season with the organization that drafted him with a (16-7) record, 2.94 ERA, 3.24 FIP, 2.98 BB/9 and 8.30 K/9 in 34 starts and 223.1 IP. Could he be pitching alongside Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann in 2012? Stras, Zimmermann, Wilson, Wang and Lannan?