C.J. Wilson was very close to signing with the Marlins rather than agreeing to a five-year, $77.5 million contract with the Angels this winter. Wilson flew to Dallas, the site of the winter meetings, on Wednesday, Dec. 7, landing in Texas at about 7:45 p.m. The Marlins had offered him a six-year contract, while the Angels had stopped communicating. Wilson told his agent, Bob Garber, that he would sign with Miami if he didn't hear back from Los Angeles by 9:30. The Angels were preoccupied by Albert Pujols at the time. Garber sent general manager Jerry Dipoto a text saying, "We need an answer, or we're moving in another direction. We're ready to take the Marlins' offer." Dipoto was meeting with the agent for Pujols and hammering out a deal when he received the text message. "Just give me a half-hour," Dipoto told Garber. "I'm in the middle of something right now, we'll get this taken care of." At that point, the Angels had only offered Wilson four years. Garber texted, "Five years, yes or no." "Five years, yes," Dipoto responded. That exchange took place around 9:15, or about 15 minutes minutes before Wilson's deadline.