Baltimore Orioles: Nationals show interest in Matt Wieters

Even with the recent acquisition of Welington Castillo, there’s still a chance the Baltimore Orioles are interested in Matt Wieters. But if they are, they’re going to have some serious competition.

The Baltimore Orioles signed a catcher earlier this month which effectively diminished the chances of reuniting with Matt Wieters. However, until he’s off the board, a reunion is a possibility…that is if the Washington Nationals don’t sign Wieters first.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Nationals are showing interest in the ex-Oriole catcher, and there is “rampant speculation” among the industry that the Nats could be a landing spot.

The Nationals recently were busy in the trade market, acquiring catcher Derek Norris from the San Diego Padres, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com hinted there was a possibility the Nats could sign Wieters and later flip Norris to another team.

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The Orioles were always fond of Wieters, but he hasn’t performed up to his All-Star standards in the last three years. The Orioles initially offered Wieters a qualifying offer in 2015 after he played in 75 games, and 26 games in 2014. To everyone’s surprise, Wieters accepted the offer in order to rebuild his value for the free agent market the following winter.

Unfortunately, his 2016 season wasn’t much better; while Wieters hit 17 home runs, he had a disappointing .302 OBP and a .711 OPS. Wieters’ latest season played an influential role in the Orioles not offering the catcher a qualifying offer.

There’s no denying Wieters has a market this offseason, but a reunion with Baltimore is slim. The Orioles felt more comfortable offering a $6 Million contract to Castillo versus a pricey deal for Wieters. And it’s no secret Wieters is commanding a large contract on the market, especially since his agent is none other than Scott Boras.

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Still, until he’s off the market, the chances of a return could happen. But word of advice: don’t get your hopes up. The Orioles aren’t particularly known for making splashy signings during the Hot Stove season.