685 replies to this topic

[SportsGuy]

The longer you wait to extend him, the more expensive he will be...and, the bigger issue above the cost is the amount of years.

Whether he signs an extension during this season or after the 2013 season, he is going to want at least 5 years.

Giving him a contract that pays him 18-22M a year when he is in his low 30s is a poor investment because there is a good chance he isn't even catching in 6 years and his offense, at least as of right now, isn't good enough for any other position. On top of that, I am not sure he is even athletic enough to play in the field.

So, you would be paying him, at ages 31 and 32, 20ishM a year to be a 750-800ish OPS DH, which is worth probably in the area of 3-5 million.

I approach him anytime between now and July 1 about an extension like this. If he isn't willing to sign or wants way too much, I look to move him in July. If the right deal isn't there, I don't trade him. I then do the same thing in the offseason...I approach him with the extension again and if he still says no, I look to move him.

I don't disagree with Mackus that his value could still go up between the 2012 offseason and the 2013 offseason....but I also believe that another very good year by him nets us a major package and if we can get that over the next 10 months or so, I don't wait to see if his value increases....unless of course the team all of a sudden looks like a team that could contend in 2013, which we all know is highly unlikely.

[SportsGuy]

FG has added in a passed ball stat for catchers...as a result, Wieters' WAR went up to 5 for the 2011 season.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Apparently Wieters did not make MLB Network's Top 100 current players. That seems like a stretch.

[Tucker Blair]

http://entoriole.blo...n-baseball.html
New blog I wrote on Wieters and Catcher defense

[Can_of_corn]

Apparently Wieters did not make MLB Network's Top 100 current players. That seems like a stretch.

Despite leading the league in WAR last season he only came in at #9 on their Catcher only list. They are obviously not looking at defense or really, games played at the position, since Napoli, for instance, is the highest ranked Catcher.

[BSLChrisStoner]

http://entoriole.blo...n-baseball.html
New blog I wrote on Wieters and Catcher defense

Really outstanding work here.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Apparently Wieters did not make MLB Network's Top 100 current players. That seems like a stretch.

Let's see, he had the 75th highest OPS last year among all players, 7th highest OPS among catchers, and played at an elite level defensively, good enough to win the gold glove. Even with all of the quality pitchers who would be among the top 100, this is still quite an oversight by MLB Network to say the least.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Despite leading the league in WAR last season he only came in at #9 on their Catcher only list. They are obviously not looking at defense or really, games played at the position, since Napoli, for instance, is the highest ranked Catcher.

Had they been eligible, those responsible would have been deserving of a low seed in the BSL Media Bracket!

[Can_of_corn]

Had they been eligible, those responsible would have been deserving of a low seed in the BSL Media Bracket!

I wouldn't know. I am not local so I have not been following the brackets.

[SportsGuy]

The case is there for Wieters to be a top 100 player. Is he for sure? I wouldn't say that.

Jones certainly isn't but that reputation that Jones is part of what drives his trade value.

[SportsGuy]

http://www.fangraphs... ... mccutchen/\

Different positions but McCutchen is better than Wieters...This should be some sort of a baseline for Wieters deal, if the Orioles want to sign one and he wants to accept it.

[FlavaDave10]

Wieters should improve upon his 2011 season. The extremely promising thing to me is that he lowered his K-rate and despite having a better batting average in 2011, his BABIP was still a career low. I think that will change this year. You can never predict BABIP, but a .275-.285 batting average with 20 home runs is definitely reasonable.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Nice start to the year for Wieters. 8 of 28, 3 xbh's, 5 bb's, and just 3 k's.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Fox Sports / Rosenthal: http://msn.foxsports...-Central-041612

"A scout had an interesting take on Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, who is starting to look like a perennial All-Star:

“He must be a guy people like,” the scout said. “Throw it down the middle to him with two strikes, and if he takes it, the umpires call it a ball. They give him pitches at the plate. And he gets pitches for his pitchers.”

[BSLChrisStoner]

Wieters is now 11 for 32 (.344), with 4 hr's, 9 rbi's, 1 double, 7 bb's, 4 k's, and his OPS is 1.212.

How awesome would it be, if he has grown into an MVP caliber talent?

[You Play to Win the Game]

Wieters is now 11 for 32 (.344), with 4 hr's, 9 rbi's, 1 double, 7 bb's, 4 k's, and his OPS is 1.212.

How awesome would it be, if he has grown into an MVP caliber talent?

I think it's possible, although I'm still trying to manage expectations to a certain degree with Wieters. But he has picked up where he left off last season, which is a great sign that he's finally cracked the code.

Are you or anyone else concerned with his defense? Particularly his throwing? He hasn't been on point with throwing out base runners yet, and has made a couple of sloppy throws from his knees resulting in errors and advanced bases.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I think it's possible, although I'm still trying to manage expectations to a certain degree with Wieters. But he has picked up where he left off last season, which is a great sign that he's finally cracked the code.

Are you or anyone else concerned with his defense? Particularly his throwing? He hasn't been on point with throwing out base runners yet, and has made a couple of sloppy throws from his knees resulting in errors and advanced bases.

Good point about managing growing expectations. I went into the year wanting him to be above an .800 OPS, and ecstatic if he was around .850. That still holds true.

I'm not concerned about his defense, but it is interesting. Just shows how hard high-level consistency is for anyone, even the best defensive catcher in the game. I don't recall any throws that were off last year (though I'm sure there were). This year we've already seen 3.

[Nuclear Dish]

Matt Wieters is finally figuring it out offensively. His career arc has been just fine with me. He's got the defensive side down, and has, pretty much since he walked onto the diamond. And he's progressed at a steady rate offensively, such that he's now an integral part of the batting order.

He needs to be extended along with Jones so we have quality pieces in place to complement if we are going to build a winning team.

My favorite Orioles since I started watching in 1977:

1977-1988 Eddie Murray**
1989-1993 Gregg Olson
1994-1998 Chris Hoiles
1999-2002 Mike Bordick*
2003-2010 Brian Roberts
2011-present Matt Wieters

*The final 2 months of 2000, after Bordick got traded to the Mets, my favorite Orioles was Melvin Mora, but then Bordick came back the following season and reclaimed his spot. By the time he left, Brian Roberts was more beloved to me than Mora.

**Eddie was, is, and always will be my favorite Oriole of all-time. There was no one like him, and I can't imagine anyone ever surpassing him in my mind as the greatest to ever wear our uniform.

***I was always partial to Chito Martinez too, but that didn't last very long.

[SportsGuy]

Wieters has really put together a nice last 250ish at bats, dating back to last year.

HOPEFULLY, he is figuring it out offensively and will be what we thought he would be for the long term.

The Orioles do need to start talking negotation with him. Not sure if they have thought about it, approached him or whatever but the time is now to do it.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Wieters has really put together a nice last 250ish at bats, dating back to last year.

HOPEFULLY, he is figuring it out offensively and will be what we thought he would be for the long term.

The Orioles do need to start talking negotation with him. Not sure if they have thought about it, approached him or whatever but the time is now to do it.

Do we know anythng about Duq's dealings with Boras in the past?

I agree, we need to do this, and the sooner the better.