Texas native and former Baylor pitcher Kip Wells, who has been talked about as a possible Ranger trade target for a couple of years now, has a blood clot in his right arm. According to the article, Pirates g.m. Dave Littlefield "described the clot as a '100 percent blockage' of an artery under the clavicle, the primary vessel that carries blood from the chest to the arms."
Bad news for Wells, who, if he opts for surgery to correct the problem (and it doesn't sound like he's going to have much of a choice), likely will miss the 2006 season.
And as with Brian Lawrence, the timing is awful for Wells, given that he's a free agent after the season. He'd pitched like a legit top-of-the-rotation starter in 2002 and 2003, but has been mediocre the past two seasons, and a strong 2006 likely would have gotten him a contract in the $30-40 million range this offseason.