Will Duquette go all out to keep Matt Wieters?

[webbrick2010]

and more... We won't sign Weiters

1. His value is/was tied to defense and that is/will be in major decline. It's already clear that he was not a very good pitch framer and the staff had it's best year ever in his absence. Coming off of TJ surgery it is not know when/if he will ever be able to control the run game as he did when he was young

2. Never has demonstrated the ability to hit at a 1B/DH level

3. Is already past 30

[TouchemAll]

In the wake of Nick Markakis' departure, I've been thinking of what Dan Duquette repeatedly said during his first week on the job. I heard him say in at least five separate interviews that he felt the strength of the team was up the middle with Jones, Hardy and Wieters. In fact, it was notable to me that he never mentioned Markakis in these interviews.

Jones extended? Check. Hardy extended? Check. Markakis allowed to walk? Check.

That leaves Wieters. We know Dan had a discussion with Boras about extending Matt after Dan's first year on the job, and quickly gave up the effort when Boras' initial demand was unrealistic. It doesn't appear that he has tried again since, and I doubt he'll do so now, though it's possible he'll look for a "buy low" opportunity in the wake of Matt's injury and the Orioles' success without him.

Really, though, my question goes to next winter. The odds are high that Boras puts Wieters up for auction. Is Dan prepared to win that auction even though the price will be higher than what Dan has been willing to pay other guys? Wieters is the third leg of the stool Dan identified his first day on the job. Will he break his usual rule about drawing a line in the sand and decide this is a guy he is determined to keep? Or will he back off when some other team makes an offer he considers an overpay?

If Buck has any say YES JMHO and ALOT is going to depend just what he's like after this TJ surgery no guarantee's he even going to be the same guy. He'll need to post good numbers to demand the BIG $$$ IMHO . If he does great we'll both be happy next year.

If he posts those BIG numbers and it turns into a bidding war forget it he's gone 96 wins without him last year shows he is replaceable.

[gmelson26]

96 wins without Wieters last year. The pitching staff did not implode when he went down. Myth busted. Good player. Replaceable.

I was going to post my own numbers and what not, but essentially this. Among the most wins in Orioles history without him.. his bat is an improvement over what we currently have, but not his Mauer (ironically now at first) money.

[SeaBird]

Wieters will walk. Duquette will cite health uncertainty/risk and the fact that the Orioles did quite well without him last season as the reasons to let him test free agency.

[Rene88]

Hooray, more threads on MW extension...

No, absolutely we should not extend him. No way. Stupid. Moronic. He isn't take a bargain price and his value is at his position which he will not hold so it will be a HORRIBLE contract. Horrible. He has hit a partial year (last year) and looked lost other years.

He is a textbook case on who NOT to extend.

Both Cruz and Kakes should have been extended before MW.

Let's discuss a real topic-like extending Tillman. There you go. Next.

[Guest]

Nope take the pick and let's some other team overpay.

[Bradysburns]

96 wins without Wieters last year. The pitching staff did not implode when he went down. Myth busted. Good player. Replaceable.

Bingo. This summarizes my take perfectly. I also think the injury question is real. From what I remember reading, catchers do not tend to have great careers after such surgeries. Maybe Matt will ultimately reinvent himself at first or even right field. Look what happened to another Orioles catching product: Jayson Werth.

I could see Matt going that way within the next couple years.

[PaulFolk]

Bingo. This summarizes my take perfectly. I also think the injury question is real. From what I remember reading, catchers do not tend to have great careers after such surgeries. Maybe Matt will ultimately reinvent himself at first or even right field. Look what happened to another Orioles catching product: Jayson Werth.

Have you seen Matt Wieters run? :eektf: Safe to say that playing the outfield is not in his future.

[gmelson26]

Have you seen Matt Wieters run? :eektf: Safe to say that playing the outfield is not in his future.

This made me genuinely laugh out loud. Frankly though the more I think about this.. this shouldn't even be a topic of discussion until we see him perform post-surgery, and honestly even then, my gut tells me he is not going to age well.

Side note: I think the defensive things he does well are the flashier aspects of catching i.e. throwing out runners, blocking balls in the dirt. Whereas, the elements he's not good at but might be more important (i.e. framing, sequencing)... tough to weigh either way.

[luismatos4prez]

I'm still holding out hope that Duquette and Boras will reach agreement on a one-year extension for Wieters this winter, thereby turning 2015 into Wieters' recovery season and 2016 his opportunity to showcase what he can do when healthy for a full year.

That's a cool idea. Something like 2/23 would be nice for both sides since Wieters is only going to make $8M this year anyway and $15M is about the AAV that a great catcher gets on the market. He's not going to sign here long term though. I'd count on that.

[Rene88]

That's a cool idea. Something like 2/23 would be nice for both sides since Wieters is only going to make $8M this year anyway and $15M is about the AAV that a great catcher gets on the market. He's not going to sign here long term though. I'd count on that.

Agreed-that is a smart idea for both parties. I would be behind that.

[TonySoprano]

That leaves Wieters. We know Dan had a discussion with Boras about extending Matt after Dan's first year on the job, and quickly gave up the effort when Boras' initial demand was unrealistic. It doesn't appear that he has tried again since, and I doubt he'll do so now, though it's possible he'll look for a "buy low" opportunity in the wake of Matt's injury and the Orioles' success without him.

Not true. He has tried at least once since then, and maybe more than once.

For example:

The Orioles’ executive vice president of baseball operations met with Scott Boras this week, and there were preliminary discussions about contract extensions for Chris Davis and Matt Wieters, two of his clients.

source - CSN Sept. 27, 2013

But when Boras held court here at the Swan and Dolphin Resort on Wednesday afternoon – with at least 100 reporters crowding around him – Boras said he’s open to engaging in talks regarding the two cornerstone players’ futures in Baltimore.

Boras said he speaks to Duquette two to three times a month, and he had a meeting with him in Baltimore in September. But Boras said that he believes that any serious talks about the duo would eventually lead to a discussion with Orioles managing partner Peter Angelos.

“I’m sure that conversation will be with me and Peter [Angelos] someday, but I’m certainly welcome to entertain it and look at it,” Boras said.

He also remains open to continuing dialogue with Duquette.

“Dan and I talk frequently,” Boras said.” We have a good working relationship, and we had one when he was in Boston.

source - Baltimore Sun, Dec. 11, 2013