Would you trade Wieters straight-up for anyone in the game?

[Can_of_corn]

A real TOR that is young? without a doubt

Too much injury risk for me. I don't want to lose him for a year rehabbing his elbow.

[Larry18]

Matt Moore.

[Frobby]

Like I said earlier I think Wieters has a good chance to be a 6+ WAR player going forward and that is with an imperfect grasp on a catcher's defensive value. I will take 6 WAR from a catcher as my building block.

If I thought 2011 was his ceiling offensively then sure there is a long list of guys I would rather have.

I expect Wieters to continue getting better as a hitter, but it looks more like Jason Varitek than Joe Mauer. And even with his defense, there are guys more valuable than that.

[waroriole]

Good God yes. Is this a serious question?

I get that his potential value is enormous, but he hasn't even put up an .800 OPS in any of his 3 seasons. As Gob would say:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SP_9zH9Q44o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[BrunoCherrytown]

Good God yes. Is this a serious question?

I get that his potential value is enormous, but he hasn't even put up an .800 OPS in any of his 3 seasons. As Gob would say:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SP_9zH9Q44o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

MASN = The Banana Stand. And we know there is always money in the banana stand.

[waroriole]

MASN = The Banana Stand. And we know there is always money in the banana stand.

Maybe AM burned the banana stand down.

[Can_of_corn]

I expect Wieters to continue getting better as a hitter, but it looks more like Jason Varitek than Joe Mauer. And even with his defense, there are guys more valuable than that.

Varitek has only two seasons of 4.0 WAR (other being 4.1) his career high oWAR is 4.4. Wieters hit 4.0 WAR (3.0 oWAR) this season. He is already as good as Varitek in his prime.

When he was in his age 25 season Varitek had a grand total of one plate appearance in the majors. He didn't become the starter until his age 27 season.

[sangar]

For those who say his defense is particularly valuable with a young staff, exactly how much did that help us last year?

Given that Wieters led MLB in most run suppression categories I'd say quite a bit. Which is a pretty scary thought actually.

[Greg Pappas]

I absolutely love MW, but voting "No" in this scenario is saying that you think he is the best all around player in MLB (age accounted for). I think that's a little ridiculous. Especially considering that there were bust threads going on during last season.

No, I am not saying Matt Wieters is the best player in baseball, but that there isn't a single player in baseball that I'd trade him for. I believe that when you factor in age (24), defensive ability (GG), and offensive capability, we'll have a perrenial all-star catcher, arguably the most important position on a team, for many years to come. No other player in the game would get me to pull the trigger, though I understand many others having a different view.

[MauerWithPower]

Albert Pujols

[weams]

Given that Wieters led MLB in most run suppression categories I'd say quite a bit. Which is a pretty scary thought actually.

Our pitching had been completely horrid. It's not the defense, it's not our hitting. It's not even the over matched prospects down in Bowie and Frederick. It's our pitching, specifically our starting pitching. Hopefully by the time this off season is over, DD will have given us enough other options that we don't have to count on Arrieta and Mattusz. I really hope we improve our starting pitching.

[MarylandAaron]

I probably agree that I wouldn't trade Wieter's straight up for any one person given the circumstances of this team.

However, I would have to think very hard before turning down Justin Upton, Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez (going into his age 26 season), Matt Moore, Harper, or Strasburg (in that order).

Seems to me the only other guys to consider would be Trout, Heyward, and Stanton.

FYI, here are the Fangraphs trade value ratings. Obviously age makes many of these players worth less to the Orioles--though you could argue you could trade them for more than the player you would otherwise get back 1 for 1 (but I think that undermines the spirit of this topic).

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/2011-trade-value-10-1/

I'd have to strongly consider each of those, but I think Matt Moore would be the closest to prying Wieters. That dude is filthy.

[Can_of_corn]

Albert Pujols

You would rather have a 32 year old (tomorrow in fact!) first baseman with declining peripherals then Wieters?

That is surprising.

[crawjo]

Like I said earlier I think Wieters has a good chance to be a 6+ WAR player going forward and that is with an imperfect grasp on a catcher's defensive value. I will take 6 WAR from a catcher as my building block.

If I thought 2011 was his ceiling offensively then sure there is a long list of guys I would rather have.

So you wouldn't trade a guy who COULD be a 6+ WAR player for guys who have consistently been 6+ WAR players and are still young? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. In the BEST case scenario for Wieters, he would be as valuable as Longoria is right now. Longoria is only one year older than Wieters, and he's under team control through 2016.

Seriously, the logic makes no sense at all.

[crawjo]

You would rather have a 32 year old (tomorrow in fact!) first baseman with declining peripherals then Wieters?

That is surprising.

Albert Pujols is one of the five best right-handed hitters in baseball history. Matt Wieters is a 25 year-old catcher who, in 1,438 PA in the Major Leagues, has a 100 OPS+. Given the way catchers tend to prematurely age, I'd say the odds are very good that five years from now Pujols is still a more productive player than Wieters will be.