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Over the weekend Ken Rosenthal posted an article on FOXsports.com in which he suggested the possibility of the Orioles trading Matt Wieters and then going after a catcher like Jarrod Saltalamacchia to replace him. His reasoning behind it is that he believe that Wieters, as a Scott Boras client, is unlikely to sign an extension with the team. He does note that this might not be a good time to trade Wieters because his poor offensive season could lower the return the Orioles could get on him.
I found the article interesting simply because trading Matt Wieters has never occurred to me. Despite his woes at the plate in 2013, Wieters is part of the core of this team and not someone who would be easily replaced. But with two years left on his contract he could be traded to help fill one of the holes on the team; namely, second base, left field, designated hitter, or the starting rotation.
If you have been paying close attention to the Orioles, you probably agree with me that this will probably never happen. Buck Showalter loves Wieters and trading a big player like that doesn't seem something that Dan Duquette is likely to do. But if they have no interest in extending Wieters or if they believe Wieters won't be interested in extending (There were rumors he wanted to after 2012 but I haven't heard anything like that lately), then hopefully they will at least explore the trade market for Wieters this offseason. That doesn't mean I necessarily want him to be traded, but he is a very good catcher with two years left on his contract and as such could bring back talent that could help the team contend. It would be worth it for the Orioles to find out what someone is willing to give up for him.
Of course, if the Orioles trade Wieters to fill one hole, that just opens up another one in the lineup. Rosenthal suggested Saltalamacchia as a possibility, but he wouldn't come cheaply. MLB Trade Rumors predicts that he'll get a contract of three years, $36M. And that's for a guy who can't hit lefties (Of course, Wieters can't hit righties, so maybe the Orioles should just sign Salty and platoon them). And the rest of the catching FA class isn't exactly inspiring. The only other good catcher out there is Brian McCann who 1) is going to get a huge contract, and 2) I can't stand.
Anyway, it's food for thought. Will it happen? Probably not. Is it a good thing to talk about in the slow part of the off season? Sure it is.
- Do you think the Orioles should explore the trade market for Matt Wieters?
- If so, who do you think would make a good replacement either through free agency or trade?
- If not, should the Orioles try to sign him to a contract extension this offseason or during 2014?
More from Camden Chat:
- Orioles pitching: Facing Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson and the rest of the best
- Baltimore Orioles 2013 in review: T.J. McFarland
- Orioles rotation 2014: What trade targets make sense for the Baltimore Orioles?
- 2013 MLB Awards: Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, and Adam Jones win A.L. Silver Slugger for Orioles