Matt Wieters wants to stay in Baltimore!!!

[DrinkinWithFermi]

What good player have the O's let go via free agency? The last one I can think of is BJ Ryan and he ended up flaming out rapidly in Toronto.

It still drives me insane that we didn't trade him at the deadline that year.

[Tony-OH]

One thing to consider is that Wieters is a very large catcher who will turn 30-years old during the first year of his free agency year. It might be prudent to not extend him because if Wieters loses some defensive value or his knees start to go after lugging that body up and down, his bat is not good enough to provide value at a premium price. As tough a decision as it may be be, the Orioles should probably ride this thing out a bit and just deal with him in arbitration over the next three years.

[MurphDogg]

It still drives me insane that we didn't trade him at the deadline that year.

Yeah but we got Pedro Beato in the draft as a result!

[Can_of_corn]

One thing to consider is that Wieters is a very large catcher who will turn 30-years old during the first year of his free agency year. It might be prudent to not extend him because if Wieters loses some defensive value or his knees start to go after lugging that body up and down, his bat is not good enough to provide value at a premium price. As tough a decision as it may be be, the Orioles should probably ride this thing out a bit and just deal with him in arbitration over the next three years.

I would be comfortable with buying out two years of FA.

If he doesn't want to extend...

Catch him into the ground and let someone else pay for the decline.

[luismatos4prez]

One thing to consider is that Wieters is a very large catcher who will turn 30-years old during the first year of his free agency year. It might be prudent to not extend him because if Wieters loses some defensive value or his knees start to go after lugging that body up and down, his bat is not good enough to provide value at a premium price. As tough a decision as it may be be, the Orioles should probably ride this thing out a bit and just deal with him in arbitration over the next three years.

Hmm, that's unfortunately a good point. Is there any precedent for a huge catcher like Wieters sticking at the position? Joe Mauer doesn't set a very positive precedent for 6'5 catchers.

[mclumsy53]

I'm not talking bout all stars just guys like Reynolds. I understand wieters isn't on the same level as him.

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[Can_of_corn]

Hmm, that's unfortunately a good point. Is there any precedent for a huge catcher like Wieters sticking at the position? Joe Mauer doesn't set a very positive precedent for 6'5 catchers.

Ernie Lombardi was listed at 6'3" 230 pounds and he caught 17 seasons.

[Stotle]

I would be comfortable with buying out two years of FA.

If he doesn't want to extend...

Catch him into the ground and let someone else pay for the decline.

Agreed. I think there is little risk with a 2 or 3 year extension.

[isestrex]

One thing to consider is that Wieters is a very large catcher who will turn 30-years old during the first year of his free agency year. It might be prudent to not extend him because if Wieters loses some defensive value or his knees start to go after lugging that body up and down, his bat is not good enough to provide value at a premium price. As tough a decision as it may be be, the Orioles should probably ride this thing out a bit and just deal with him in arbitration over the next three years.

Good thing we don't have a 1B locked up long term....

[Tony-OH]

Hmm, that's unfortunately a good point. Is there any precedent for a huge catcher like Wieters sticking at the position? Joe Mauer doesn't set a very positive precedent for 6'5 catchers.

I tried doing a little research and I really can't find a catcher as big as Wieters who was effective after 30-years old.

There are only 127 seasons of a catcher who played 75% of his games at catcher, past the age of 30 and who put up an OPS better than .750 in 450 PAs or more. Sandy Alomar is the only catcher I can find that was 6-foot-5 (he was also 200 pound and not the 240 Wieters is lugging up and down) and he didn't have the mileage on him as Wieters will have at 30 and Alomar was only able to have more than 400 PAs three years after having turned 30 (444 at 30, 480 at 31, .438 32).

Year 	Tm 	G 	PA 	AB 	R 	H 	2B 	3B 	HR 	RBI 	SB 	CS 	BB 	SO 	BA 	OBP 	SLG 	OPS 	OPS+ 	TB 	GDP 	HBP 	SH 	SF 	IBB1996-1998 	CLE 	369 	1362 	1278 	161 	352 	86 	2 	38 	177 	1 	5 	56 	135 	.275 	.309 	.435 	.744 	89 	556 	51 	9 	13 	6 	2

Carlton Fisk was a pretty big catcher at 6-foot-3 and he obviously was the exception to the rule for catcher's who stayed effective through their 30s and even early 40s.

I'm not saying Wieters can't be effective once he turns 30s, but he does have a old player's skills offensively and they normally don't get better into their 30s, especially when you combine all the mileage on those knees.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I would be comfortable with buying out two years of FA.

If he doesn't want to extend...

Catch him into the ground and let someone else pay for the decline.

Yep. Catch him into the ground.