Roch: Matt Wieters Still Thinks He Was Right

[weams]

"I still think it was the right decision. It was going to be a matter of how effective am I going to be if I can't get behind the plate and catch for these guys? From the time we shut it down it was like, what is the fastest way to get me back behind the plate catching, and we finally came to the decision that surgery is probably the best decision and the fastest way to get me behind the plate catching, with that added comfort that we have a repaired ligament in there."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/01/more-on-the-trade-ohlman-and-wieters.html

Could he have contributed last season without the surgery?

[UpstateNYfan]

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/01/more-on-the-trade-ohlman-and-wieters.html

Could he have contributed last season without the surgery?

Did the O's end up needing him last year? No, they won without him. Might he had helped in the playoffs. Maybe, but more likely not if he wasn't 100% with his arm. At least the O's (and Wieters, Boras) found out he is not irreplaceable.

It was a nice interview. He said the right things about the O's. But, at the end of the day Boras has him. Maybe he'll reunite with Markakis and the Braves next year.

[Frobby]

I thought last year that Wieters' personal interests in deciding to have the surgery were in line with the team's, and I still feel that way.

[ShaneDawg85]

Could he have contributed without the surgery, in some ways yes. However, I struggle to believe he could have behind the plate. The hallmark of Matt Wieters defensively is his ability to throw out base runners, and if he couldn't do that he becomes much more of a liability, coupled with the likely inevitability that his bat was going to cool off.

[webbrick2010]

I felt he waited to long to have the surgery. If he would have had it immediately this season would not be in as much jeopardy as it is?

Same story with Bundy?

Harvey?

[waroriole]

I thought last year that Wieters' personal interests in deciding to have the surgery were in line with the team's, and I still feel that way.

This. Any suggestion that he should've have made a choice to potentially destroy his career, or that he was selfish, is out of line.

[weams]

This. Any suggestion that he should've have made a choice to potentially destroy his career, or that he was selfish, is out of line.

Well, I do think there is evidence of players attempting to play through a TJ type situation. Since the cure is removal, I doubt addition damage really can be done. Ervin Santana, and Tanaka both come to mind. I believe that with Matt's impending free agency, that it was the wise choice to correct it surgically.

We were just so close last season.

[waroriole]

Well, I do think there is evidence of players attempting to play through a TJ type situation. Since the cure is removal, I doubt addition damage really can be done. Ervin Santana, and Tanaka both come to mind. I believe that with Matt's impending free agency, that it was the wise choice to correct it surgically.

We were just so close last season.

We were close, but I don't know that an injured Wieters makes a difference. There was no way for him to know that in May, and it could be that we will need him more in the World Series this year.

[VeveJones007]

A catcher with a suspect arm would have done more harm than good against the Royals.