A throwback pic of Matt Wieters either my dad or I took when he was playing with the Norfolk Tides in 2009.
Most of the notable 2016-17 offseason free agents class have been signed. Some free agents resigned with the team they were originally on. Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner returned to the Dodgers. Jose Bautista resigned with Toronto. Yoenis Cespedes came back to New York. However, some players switched up and turned the dial on the stove. Edwin Encarnacion signed with the reigning American League Champs, the Cleveland (w)Indians, (get it?). Mark Melancon and the Giants agreed on a four-year contract. Ian Desmond, perhaps the biggest off-season surprise, inked a five-year deal with the Rockies. What if I told you a four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, entering his age 31 season, was unsigned? Seems a little crazy right, being that it is February 21st, and pitchers and catchers reported almost over a week now.
This guy is Matt Wieters. Wieters was the Orioles starting catcher since 2009. He was the 5th overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech. In 2009, prior to making his MLB debut, he was named the second-best prospect in all of baseball, behind David Price. In his rookie season, he flirted with a .300 batting average and led the majors in double play turned by a catcher. From 2011-2013, Wieters seemed to be settling into the majors as the Orioles star catcher. In the span of those three seasons, Wieters hit 67 home runs and 230 RBI's which ranked second and first in that time span among qualified catchers. His 10.9 WAR during those three seasons was the fifth highest in that category. Not only was Wieters a force offensively, he defense was just as good, if not better. During 2011-2013, Wieters threw out 37% of runners attempting to steal a base, which was the highest in that time period among qualified catchers in the American League. He won consecutive Gold Gloves in 2012 and 2013. In a peculiar stat, Wieters ranks 12th in the "clutch" stat among qualifiers since 2012. Fans have given him the nickname "Matty Ice" because of his success in late games.
25 games into the 2014 season, Wieters faced an arm injury that required Tommy John surgery, sidelining him the entire season and the start of the 2015 season. After coming back from his injury, he was not the same player. Playing in only 75 games, Wieters tallied career lows in home runs, RBI's, games played, and percentage of runners caught stealing. When the season concluded, he opted free agency but re-signed with the O's for one more year. In his 7th season with Baltimore, Wieters was named an All-Star. He went on to have a decent year, hitting just shy of 20 homers, with a WAR of 1.7 (highest WAR since 2012) in 124 games played.
The veteran has an impressive resume. So why is he still unsigned? Beats me honestly. It's obvious there is not one team does not want him to be their starting catcher. He would fit great with a team with a young pitching staff. Wieters caught Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, and Zach Britton when they first came to the majors. Each pitcher gelled smoothly with two-time Gold Glover. He can do the same for a young pitching staff. Which team could use a veteran catcher like Wieters?
Two come to mind: the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angelos Angels.
The Rockies would be a solid fit for Wieters. If the season started today, Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy would most likely platoon, unless they went with Wolters to be their starter, because he has more MLB experience. The Rox have one of the youngest starting staffs in all of Major League Baseball. Wieters could provide a great insight to these young stud starters, and also to the lesser experienced backstops. The Rockies have already spent much money this offseason, why not invest on a qualified veteran who could help your team? Even if money was an issue, because no one has signed Wieters this late into the offseason, they could sign him for cheap.
The Angels are the other team. Their top candidates for starting catcher include Martin Maldonado and Carlos Perez. Perez is coming off his first full season and seems to be an average catcher. Maldonado, who was Jonathon Lucroy's backup in Milwaukee for a couple of years, is looking to find his first starting catching gig in Los Angelos. He has only played in half the number of games Wieters has, including Wieters' absence in 2014. The Angels starting pitching could use a catcher with more experience than these two.
I am not ruling out an Orioles reunion. The Orioles resign former players all the time, including Mark Trumbo, Logan Ondrusek (major league deals), and Michael Bourn and Robert Andino (minor-league deals) this offseason. Andino last played for the O's in 2012. However, I think Wieters returning to Baltimore it is a long shot. The birds plan to use Wellington Castillo as their starter, and most likely Caleb Joseph as their backup. Chance Sisco, a top prospect in their farm system, is projected to start at Triple-A Norfolk this season and may be major-league ready before the conclusion of the season.
Source: fangraphs.com
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