Matt Wieters

[OriolesMagic83]

The QO is going to be around $16.7 mill this year. No way the O's offer Wieters one. Manny, Tillman, and others are going to be getting big raises. Not exactly looking forward to a Joseph/Pena platoon, but I think Joseph is a better defensive/game calling catcher.

[bobmc]

From Melewski's blog:

During tonight’s game Wieters was probably as angry as we’ve seen him - and he was still a bit steamed after the game. He didn’t see eye-to-eye with the strike zone of plate umpire Manny Gonzalez. In the eighth inning, Gonzalez called a strike on Wieters on a pitch that nearly bounced. Wieters struck out on the next pitch.

“You know, all night, I thought they were getting the low pitch more than we were,” Wieters said. “I thought they got a little bit bigger zone, but the biggest thing that frustrated me was when the umpire is telling me to get back in the box. I feel like you have time and an umpire is more worried about pace of game and the players are more worried about trying to win a game. I’m trying to try to calm down and I needed to step out of the box because I thought the ball was low and he’s trying to rush me back in the box and I just didn’t appreciate that.”

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/07/os-talk-about-the-frustration-of-the-series-opening-loss-at-toronto.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[TouchemAll]

He was once one of the best defensive catchers in the game. He's become a liability now. Not worth $14 million. Don't see him here next year unless he takes a significant pay cut.

I like Buck but in all honesty he's got to take some heat here Wieters should not have come back that fast he was not ready.

[Ripken]

It's not his fault the expectations were so high... and he was overworked for years... but I really hope this is his last year in Baltimore.

[section18]

We should be making every effort to move Wieters in a deal before the deadline. Three reasons;

1. Everyone knows the pitchers perform better with Joseph behind the plate. His defense has taken several steps back and probably won't improve. He's just too big to be a catcher and he obstructs the umpires view of pitches.

2. We can save about $6.5 million dollars.

3. We should be in on Lucroy the Brewers catcher and make him our starter. 2nd best hitting catcher in baseball and he would be a welcome addition. Come on DD! Get Jonathan Lucroy before the Indians add him to their team. While talking to them also add Will Smith a lefty reliever we desparately need to the deal.

[pastorfan]

I am furious over Wieters right now. He sits for 6 games, after he comes back struggles on defense and right away we hear about his foot still bothering him. Ok well then why on the world wasn't he put on the DL? I guess giving him another 8-9 days to get healthy just makes too much sense. Instead lets have him aggravate it instead. Brilliant.

Completely agree and Joseph actually started to get a few hits. How many balls have gotten passed Matt recently? This is the one area where I think Buck makes a mistake--he seems to pick guys out he loves and put them above the team. At the same time, I may completely wrong, but that seems to be what he does at times.

[pastorfan]

Because Joseph has a .468 OPS. He might be the worst hitter in the American League.

This makes no sense, considering Joseph had several multi-hit games before Matt came back.

[pastorfan]

We should be making every effort to move Wieters in a deal before the deadline. Three reasons;

1. Everyone knows the pitchers perform better with Joseph behind the plate. His defense has taken several steps back and probably won't improve. He's just too big to be a catcher and he obstructs the umpires view of pitches.

2. We can save about $6.5 million dollars.

3. We should be in on Lucroy the Brewers catcher and make him our starter. 2nd best hitting catcher in baseball and he would be a welcome addition. Come on DD! Get Jonathan Lucroy before the Indians add him to their team. While talking to them also add Will Smith a lefty reliever we desparately need to the deal.

While I don't think such a trade is likely, this would certainly be a coop. Lucroy would help us beyond this year and Smith is just what we need now.

[Aristotelian]

We should be making every effort to move Wieters in a deal before the deadline. Three reasons;

1. Everyone knows the pitchers perform better with Joseph behind the plate. His defense has taken several steps back and probably won't improve. He's just too big to be a catcher and he obstructs the umpires view of pitches.

2. We can save about $6.5 million dollars.

3. We should be in on Lucroy the Brewers catcher and make him our starter. 2nd best hitting catcher in baseball and he would be a welcome addition. Come on DD! Get Jonathan Lucroy before the Indians add him to their team. While talking to them also add Will Smith a lefty reliever we desparately need to the deal.

WHo would be dumb enough to take Wieters at this point? A team that is out of it has no use for him. A team that is contending now won't want him for the same reason you want to get rid of him.

I don't see us carrying Wieters and Lucroy. Best option is to DL Wieters and roll with Joseph/Pena.

[Tx Oriole]

He was once one of the best defensive catchers in the game. He's become a liability now. Not worth $14 million. Don't see him here next year unless he takes a significant pay cut.

Wieters is not liability in my opinion. Who is your catcher next year? Caleb is a

backup.

[Tx Oriole]

I am furious over Wieters right now. He sits for 6 games, after he comes back struggles on defense and right away we hear about his foot still bothering him. Ok well then why on the world wasn't he put on the DL? I guess giving him another 8-9 days to get healthy just makes too much sense. Instead lets have him aggravate it instead. Brilliant.

So you'd rather have Caleb? If the O's had won none of this would have been

posted. Players have aches and pains this time of year. IMO

[TouchemAll]

We should be making every effort to move Wieters in a deal before the deadline. Three reasons;

1. Everyone knows the pitchers perform better with Joseph behind the plate. His defense has taken several steps back and probably won't improve. He's just too big to be a catcher and he obstructs the umpires view of pitches.

2. We can save about $6.5 million dollars.

3. We should be in on Lucroy the Brewers catcher and make him our starter. 2nd best hitting catcher in baseball and he would be a welcome addition. Come on DD! Get Jonathan Lucroy before the Indians add him to their team. While talking to them also add Will Smith a lefty reliever we desparately need to the deal.

Buck won't let it happen, but If he could be added to some deal to bring back some pitching I would be ALL for this.

[SteveA]

Watched Wieters try and fail at blocking pitches all week.

Watched how good the starters looked with Joseph catching them and calling games for them for a week.

Watch Gausman especially look good with Caleb catching him and total crap with Wieters behind the plate.

I have to agree with a lot of comments in this thread. Wieters should have gone on the DL. And as recently as a month ago I would have been more than willing to QO him again. But I've done a complete 180 on that and I think it's time to let him walk after the season.

Next year? Pick up some mediocre veteran like Robinson Chirinos or Geovany Soto. There's always a few on the market and they don't get paid much. Let Mediocre Veteran, Caleb Joseph, and Pena hold down the spot until Sisco is deemed to be ready.

In the mean time, as soon as the big guns in our order start hitting again - and they WILL - start using Caleb more. When our offense is firing on all cylinders we can certainly afford a weak bat like Caleb in the lineup.

And he should certainly catch Gausman as much as possible.

[Tony-OH]

Not sure why Buck has been playing him everyday since he returned basically. Especially when Caleb was doing well and the team was winning.

[duffaphonic]

The Sisco kid should be an O next year too.