not quite the year before, but close enough (off the top of my head):
SP Bartolo Colon, 2 time 20 game winner, won 21 games as recently as 2005. had a major injury in '06, didn't quite rebound for '07 and is now in the Red Sox' minor leagues. i'm completely surprised he wasn't in the majors.
i'm not debating or aruguing with you, i didn't have last year's version of OOTP so you're more informed than i am re: this issue. i agree a Cy-Young candidate one year shouldn't be in AAA-ball the next year cuz he lost 2 pts off his stuff or something like that.