By Jordan Long
The Washington Nationals made a move to bolster the catcher position. They agreed to a 2-year $21 million contract with catcher Matt Wieters. He can opt out of the deal at the end of the season and become a free agent.
Matt Wieters has played 8 Major League seasons for the Baltimore Orioles. Last season he hit .243 with 17 home runs and 66 RBI’s. He is a career .256 hitter with 117 home runs and 437 RBI’s. His contract expired at the end of the year and Baltimore let him go, making him a free agent.
The Nationals were looking to add depth to the catcher position. Wilson Ramos, who was their starting catcher last season, decided to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays. Washington acquired Derek Norris from San Diego. They also have Jose Lobaton. Wieters was the top named catcher remaining in free agency.
I don’t understand this deal for the Washington Nationals. Wieters can hit fairly well and drive in runs, which could help them win games. The problem is he makes too many errors. Last year he had 11 which is far too many for a catcher.
The Nationals already have a catcher who could start in Derek Norris. Norris isn’t the hitter that Wieters is. Norris hit .186 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI’s. The only difference between Norris and Wieters is that Wieters has three more years of Major League Baseball experience.
The Nationals are going to use spring training to determine who is going to start at catcher. Wieters has the inside track of earning the spot. If he makes errors in spring training games then Norris will get the nod. Time will only tell if this contract will work out for the Washington Nationals.
What do you think of the Washington Nationals agreeing to a contract with Matt Wieters ?
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