Matt Wieters’ lengthy stay on the free-agent market has formally come to a close, as the Nationals announced on Friday that they’ve signed the four-time American League All-Star. Wieters, a client of the Boras Corporation, receives a two-year guarantee that allows him to opt out of the contract after the first season. He’ll reportedly be guaranteed a total of $21MM, with $10.5MM coming in each year of the deal (though $5MM of that sum is reportedly deferred to 2021). To make room for Wieters on the 40-man roster, the Nationals placed minor league first baseman Jose Marmolejos on the 60-day disabled list with a left forearm strain.
Wieters is the top remaining player on MLBTR’s pre-offseason top fifty list; he checked in at 16th. Though the Nats are already well-stocked with catching options, the switch-hitting Wieters now stands to receive the bulk of the duties behind the dish. He joins Derek Norris — acquired earlier in the offseason — along with holdovers Jose Lobaton and Pedro Severino as catching options in a suddenly crowded mix.
It’s unclear exactly how things could play out for the Nats, but adding Wieters would hold out the promise of upgrading the catching situation while also opening some room for further transactions. Norris and Lobaton are both playing on non-guaranteed arbitration contracts, with the former set to earn $4.2MM in his second-to-last season of control and the latter entering his walk year with a $1.575MM salary. Conceivably, either of those catchers could be moved now that Wieters is on board, though multiple reports have indicated that Norris is the one the Nationals are looking to trade.
[RELATED: Updated Nationals Depth Chart]
The Nats could also consider dealing the younger Severino to address its needs at the back of the bullpen, though it’s far from clear how long Wieters will remain in place and the organization still faces long-term questions at the position. That said, the Nationals do have several other possibilities in the pipeline, including 40-man members Spencer Kieboom and Raudy Read as well as two other top-thirty organizational prospects in Tres Barrera and Jakson Reetz.
The White Sox are clearly willing to trade reliever David Robertson, of course, and could well be interested in a controllable backstop; per ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, via Twitter, the Chicago organization has been waiting to see if the Nats would land Wieters to “rekindle” talks on Robertson. In addition to Severino, it’s also possible that the White Sox could have interest in Norris, though presumably they’d also be looking for young talent in such a scenario.
ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden tweeted not long before word of the deal broke that Wieters’s agent, Scott Boras, was “meeting with both GMs and owners” and making progress on a deal. The veteran agent has long had a strong connection with the Nats’ ownership and front office group, with the sides working out significant contracts over recent years for players including Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Jayson Werth. Young stars Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon are also repped by Boras, as are lefty Gio Gonzalez as well as recent signees Oliver Perez and Stephen Drew.
Soon to turn 31, Wieters finally returned to regular duties last year with the Orioles after two consecutive injury-plagued seasons highlighted by Tommy John surgery. But after receiving and accepting a qualifying offer last winter, Wieters was allowed to hit the open market following a disappointing season. Over 464 plate appearances, he slashed just .243/.302/.409, though he did swat 17 home runs. Though he has posted stronger offensive campaigns in the past, the veteran owns a league-average lifetime batting mark and has never quite developed into the top-level performer he once promised to be.
There are also some questions on the defensive side of the spectrum. While Boras has sought to push back against Wieters’s poor ratings in the eyes of pitch-framing metrics, his explanation isn’t entirely compelling on its face. That said, Wieters was able to cut down 35% of the runners that tried to swipe bags against him last year, helping to ease concerns over his elbow. And Baseball Prospectus credited him as a strong pitch blocker (subscription link), as it has in years past.
Of course, a fair bit of a catcher’s value lies in the nebulous world of handling a staff and calling pitches, and Wieters has drawn his share of praise in that department. (See, e.g., here.) He does face long-term questions with his sizable frame, though those risks are lessened on a short-term deal such as this. And whether he can return to being at least an average hitter remains to be seen.
All said, then, there’s some risk here, but also the promise of a steady veteran in a key position. None of the Nats’ in-house options, certainly, hold out quite as much hope. Norris has profiled alternatively as a quality hitter who isn’t polished behind the plate, and (more recently) as a power threat that can’t get on base but frames well. Lobaton, clearly, is best suited to reserve duties. And while Severino impressed in brief MLB action last year, and comes with a highly regarded defensive profile, he has yet to reach the .700 OPS barrier in a professional season.
Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links) and Heyman (via Twitter) added that Wieters would receive a two-year guarantee with a player option/opt-out clause. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the guaranteed money (via Twitter). Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post first reported the agreement and the deferred money (Twitter links). Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM added the annual breakdown (via Twitter).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Good catcher. I can’t believe he hasn’t already signed somewhere.
Not a good catcher
That’s why he hasn’t signed yet
Obviously you haven’t watched Matt catch. He’s above average catcher. Best tagger and calls a great game. Injury gave cause to reduce price for what Agent was asking. He’s without a doubt a great knowledgeable catcher. Stealing pitches with great framing is the “in” thing. But having a catcher like Matt that knows best what to call in a situation because he has relentlessly studied the batters is just as valuable. Buck Showalter been around a long time and said hands down Matt is the best catcher he ever had. I think I’ll take Bucks knowledge over those stat guys.
The guy isn’t even an average hitter in a bandbox like Baltimore, he’s gonna be worse for the Nats. It’s not my money, but if they can do something like this, they should have been willing to eat all of Robertson’s contract. Norris wasn’t much worse for a lot less.
Hate to see who’s going to Chicago that 21 million could have bought, unless it’s a guy like Taylor.
Does he really call a great game though? Baltimore pitching (aside from Barch, Britton, Gausmann) have been barely mediocre. Sure, he’s an upgrade from Derek Norris but he’s an average catcher with a below average bat. With the lineup and ball park he played in, his numbers should be much better.
Aside from the fact that the Orioles bullpen has ranked among the best the past several years… O’s pitching gets blasted because they just don’t have the SP other teams have. You’re relying on Tillman, Ubaldo, Gallardo, Wright, Wilson, and the like, it doesn’t matter how good of a game you call. Gausman, Bundy, and the entire bullpen all took major steps forward last year. Wieters is a great clubhouse guy, is very good with pitchers, and has a gun for an arm (hence the TJ surgery). That being said, his pitch framing numbers have plummeted. That and even with his great arm he’s not throwing out nearly as many base runners. That big frame could be finally giving him issues behind the plate. He has slightly above average power, especially for catcher. His contact skills are definitely average. As an O’s fan, Matt was one of the first homegrown prospects in this generation of players to actually make an impact in the Majors. I wish him well across the Beltway, that being said, the O’s signing Castillo? Genius.
Lol no he isn’t
He glove game isn’t the best… it’s more around average
Norris had a down year. He is more of an offensive catcher that has been working on his defensive game.
That Bc buck hasn’t had a good catcher ever
Good catchers are players like buster, yadi, hedges, you can even say Rene Rivera in that. They all have good game calling skills and defensive skills.
The difference between the top 2 and the bottom 2… is that the top two can hit as well.
“Best catcher he’s ever had” and the O’s front office couldn’t have turned over he couch cushions to re-sign him? That said, they did the right thing moving on.
“MLB roundup: Poor pitch-framing skills hurting Matt Wieters on FA market”
espn.com/blog/buster-olney/insider/post?id=15027
He was also catching for a rotation with the worst control in baseball. Pretty hard pitch frame when you don’t know where the ball is going and have to be ready to catch the ball anywhere including the ground. He’s a catcher you have to watch to see because his numbers don’t match his skill set. I’m sure those espn guys said something about that if they’re worth listening to
Nats always there to help out Boras.
Literally.
so true. im still shocked strasburg reupped with nats without test fa. he would have gotten a boat load of cheddar in this market.
Idk would teams shy away from disabled list leader Strasburg? 7 years for someone who can’t pitch 200 innings is a lot to ask. Can he even make it through spring training ?
Exactly. Taking 7/175 was a no-brainer for Strasburg given all his physical issues.
Yeah, I was thinking they tend to be Boras bailout location quite often. A trade is needed to complete this; thinking Lobaton.
With the recent passing of MR I in Detroit, the question will soon become how many of Boras’ clients can One team afford? He’s unable to push them on the Tigers anymore. That leaves the Nats.
If they get him cheap they’ll sign him. They don’t need an expensive back up catcher. Norris is a good starter, and Lobaton has shown that he’s a decent back up.
You think they flip Norris somewhere?
Norris is good starter? Yeah if you like catchers with declining skills who hit .180
I was thinking the same thing. I always thought Norris was going to do much better in SD. Hard to imagine he would make that strong of a comeback to reel in a good return. I wouldn’t count on it.
Norris had good 1st 1/2 2015 but then fell off map
I meant he’s a good option to start. He hasn’t had a strong coach staff to learn from or a good mentor while in Oakland and San Diego. He’ll learn in WAshington
this is the first i’ve heard about the nats having some sort of advantage in teaching catchers…
You act like he’s bad defensively. Norris is a well above average framer and is solid on the traditional catching skills, it’s his offensive production that needs help
I know there’s the “Boras Connection” in Washington, but I’m truly surprised he is going to end up there. He’s a luxury to them. Sure he’s an improvement from what they have, but there are a few teams that really could use an upgrade at catcher a lot more than they do. Really thought the Halos were going to make sure to get it done. I wonder if and where Norris gets moved.
Yes, I would have thought the Angels for sure. My guess would be it will be Lobaton who goes (DFA) rather than Norris.
They could use both Norris and Weiters, trading Lobaton instead. Definitely have to trade one, unless there is an injury.
Bye, bye Jose Lobeton!
This really makes me mad. A two year deal too!? Even taking Ramos’ injury into consideration I take him and his incredibly cheap deal any day over Wieters. Ramos is twice the catcher Wieters is and if he can’t catch full time stick him at first where the Nats arent exactly setting the world on fire.
The Nat’s GM is an idiot, and this is yet one more stupid move. They have absolutely no bullpen, and they sign 2 catchers. For the money they will pay Wieters, they could have completely revamped their bullpen.
The way Rosenthal reported it these haven’t been on Rizzo it’s been on management. Boris’s relationship with management superseded the FO on Weiters and the trade for Robertson was dead when it agreed upon and reached management. Management seems to be common denominator.
Sox front office remains optimistic that a deal with the Nats can get done for Robertson eventually
Shoulda signed Romo before LAD.
My previous bet was 2 years, $22M, $9M year one, $13M year two, with opt-out and vesting option. That could be light.
That is an overpay in my mind, but not surprised if true.
Pedro Severino and Sheldon Neuse to White Sox for David Robertson and 5 Million. Just a thought.
The problem is the signing of Wieters does not make Severino expendable because Lobaton is out of options, so is likely to be DFA’d either now or at the end of spring training.
We still have Kieboom and Solano in an emergency with Read also on the 40 man. I’d flip Sevy and a prospect (or MAT) for DRob.
It could make Pedro Severino expendable if the White Sox desire him in a package for closer David Robertson. The rebuilding White Sox would have little interest in Derek Norris and Jose Labaton.
Btw-I still maintain that Severino was indeed part of the original trade package for Robertson that hit a snag earlier this month when the Nationals ownership allegedly balked on the agreement in place between GM’s Rick Hahn and Mike Rizzo. I also believe one other player on the Nationals 40-man roster, perhaps CF/OF Michael Taylor, may also have been part of the trade along with perhaps another mid-level prospect. The timeline would have made sense with the White Sox also DFA’ing their own catcher, Kevan Smith, off of their own reserve list in order to accommodate such a trade for Robertson.
Now that Matt Wieters has signed and with news of the stress reaction injury to likely White Sox starting CF and leadoff man Charlie Tilson, the trade conversations might very well heat up again, perhaps resulting in Jerry Reinsdorf compromising with Ted Lerner on some dollars going back to Washington to cover some of Robertson’s remaining $25MM contract over the next two seasons. Depending on the magnitude of the dollars, it could also result in a better prospect returning to the White Sox.
Kevan Smith was outrighted because the Sox had 3 C’s on the 40 man roster and he was 4th on the depth chart. Just before ST is the safest time to make that move. Sox learned their lesson last year with Hector Sanchez.
If the Nats are only offering Michael Taylor and Severino, the Sox wait ’til the deadline. That deal’s too weak.. It WILL take Soto, Severino or Stevenson, depending on $’s to Nationals
That’s total b.s. There was absolutely no reason for the White Sox to DFA any catcher off of their 40-man roster unless another move was imminent. The catcher position is undoubtedly the organization’s weakest and has been for some time now. To take the risk that Smith might have been claimed off of waivers just weeks before the start of spring training would be ludicrous unless another catcher like Severino was coming back to Chicago.
Btw-It’s early in the offseason when teams routinely clear space off their 40-man rosters in order to prepare for trades, free agent signings, the Rule 5 Draft and their own waiver claims. Clubs do not do this on the eve of spring training, especially at a position of weakness. The White Sox, like all other clubs, need catchers on hand in spring training to handle all of the arms in camp. They also need depth for AAA once the regular season begins.
Currently, the White Sox have only one premium catcher among their top prospects. and he was just selected as the #1 overall pick in last June’s Rule 4 amateur draft. Zack Collins is considered to be an advanced college bat who is lacking in the skills necessary to be a MLB quality catcher. As such, his ETA is likely late 2018 or 2019 provided he actually sticks at the position.
Soto is guaranteed to make the team so he will need a spot at the end of Spring Training. Better to clear room when they did before injuries to other team’s catchers in spring training.
The White Sox don’t have to commit a roster spot to Geovany Soto for at least another month. If and when he makes the active roster, likely as Omar Narvaez’ platoon partner, the White Sox will still need backstops at AAA Charlotte to catch all their elite pitching prospects (Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Carson Fulmer) who figure to man the Knights rotation to begin the season.
The White Sox were “fortunate” that Kevan Smith cleared waivers earlier this month, which resulted in his outright to AAA on February 10th and allowed them to re-invite him to spring training shortly thereafter.
They don’t have to clear room BEFORE a deal to add someone. They saw an opening where they could keep all their catchers and they took it. Pretty simple.
Why would Washington choose to DFA one of their catchers? Even if they don’t plan on keeping all three on the roster, I would think they all have value to some MLB team.
Agree with this 100% – that would be the next move to make.
I could be wrong, but I can’t see the Sox being willing to kick in cash to the Nats unless they are getting a better return than Neuse and a backup catcher
Good to see the Nats addressing their biggest hole.
Catcher or closer?
Wieters closed in college for Georgia Tech. Why not both?
DRob + $12.5mil for Soto and Severino.
DRob + $10mil. for Kieboom and Severino
DRob for Stevenson and Severino.
Whatever gets it done. Nats would be crazy to enter the 2017 season without a proven closer for this veteran contender. Waiting until the deadline will only result in a much higher price tag.
The Nats would be crazy to trade Severino.
Jayson Stark reporting that a team talking to the Sox said they were waiting for the Nats to sign Wieters to rekindle DRob trade talks.
Ill be even more angry if they trade Severino as a result of this. I like his potential a lot and he could be the Nats catcher for many years. I’m not to keen on giving the White Sox their entire future battery.
Severino is a future backup with that wet noodle of a bat. Don’t understand the hype at all.
Solid defender with a strong arm at a defense first position.
This would appeal to any MLB club, especially a rebuilding one like the White Sox who would desire excellent defense and pitch framing skills with their potential future core of young, hard throwing pitchers that should include Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez and Carson Fulmer, among other possibilities.
Whoever doesn’t make the grade would have an opportunity to join flame-throwing closer in waiting Zack Burdi in their future bullpen.
you mean Spencer Kieboom not Carter right? Otherwise that’s laughable.
most of the ws fan trade proposals for robertson are…
Nats have really built a superteam here. Really gotta like their world series odds. Only thing left is to trade for a big reliever
C: Wieters
1B: Zimmerman (Lind as well if he struggles or gets injured)
2B: Murphy
3B: Rendon
SS: Turner
LF: Werth
CF: Eaton (below average in CF, could see him playing LF next season when Werth is gone)
RF: Harper
I bet they end up making a deal for Robertson.
That is a solid lineup on paper now with this signing
Offense looks great, but no where close to good on defense.
Not sure I really see that. They’ve got bad players at first and in left, a bullpen that seems a bit questionable, and, although I like Trea Turner quite a bit, he’s probably going to regress somewhat. They’re good, no doubt, but personally I think the Dodgers at Cubs are clearly better right now
Not to say that they can’t win the World Series. They’re a really good team and a division favorite, but I don’t think they’re one reliever away from being the best team in baseball personally
but being 1 “proven closer” away fits the ws fans narrative!
5 references of DRob to Nats talks since Dec. on this site alone kinda fits the Narrative as well.
I actually like Robertson quite a bit, and think he’d make some sense if Chicago eats a few million per year (although I agree with your take on the “proven closer”- I doubt Shawn Kelley doesn’t have the mental toughness to close games). He just does nothing to address the black holes that are Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth, or the likely regression from Tanner Roark. They’re not exactly foolproof
Weiters doesent make them a world series team. He is just a slightly above average hitting catcher. Nats have a mediocre bullpen and no closer. That wont get them the division let alone a playoff series
Yeah, never mind that they won 95 games last year. Wieters is surely better than Norris. Nats actually have a decent pen. Kelley, Treinen, Belisle, Solis all had nice seasons. A top reliever would help round it all out. They are solid at each position with a solid rotation
How much of an impact will not having Melancon make?
Oh please. Ramos was giving them far better production then norris/weiters. They have no closer, and no pitching depth. This team needs to win a playoff series before talking about world series and right now i dont see them even edging the mets
Probably a fair amount, but they added depth at first, Eaton is a good ballplayer, now Wieters. Harper should improve a bit on last season. seasonI mean, they’re a respectfully deep, above average team barring injuries or horrible chemistry
Nats shouldn’t count on much of a contribution from Matt Belisle. He’s with the Twins now.
Definitely not a super team. Weiters, Zimmerman, Werth all in decline. Eaton out of position. Murphy will come down to a earth a bit. No pitching depth, no closer.
Scherzer, Strasburg, Roark, Gio Gonzalez, Joe Ross. Seems like there’s reasonable depth. Even out of position, Eaton has similar output to Dexter Fowler. “decline” is a subjective word. Werth will be just fine. Wieters is not declining, he’s had injuries since 2014. No one is expecting the old Ryan Zimmerman anyway. That is why they signed Lind.
I can’t get the image out of my head of Boras having phones attached to both ears. One connected to the Nat’s ownership, the second to Heyman. The only thing that’s missing is the last minute mystery team.
That one is located right between his ears.
Props to Billy Eppler for showing the willpower to resist the easy signing of Weiters. Eppler has a plan to improve defensive metrics behind the plate and he’s not going to get thrown off that plan by a shiny free agent.
Betts, Bryant, Cueto, Correa, Martinez and Urias (in that order). I’m in 14 H2H points leagues this season – 10 are keepers – just my opinion. Urias is the wild card… do you bet on upside? If not, roll with Aaron Sanchez – he wasn’t a fluke. Cole is always hurt (although I like Pirates because their park is pitcher friendly and it’s the NL). Plenty of CF options better than Buxton (currently in my third draft and I don’t recall any owner keeping Buxton). You can get Adam Jones for instance (he was thrown back in my first two 12-team keeper leagues where we’ve drafted already and we keep eight keepers). Just my two cents… and I’m playing for money (so not trying to lead you astray). Good luck…
It seems like we have pretty similar thought processes. I’m going with Sanchez over Urias. I love Urias, but he will have an innings cap and may have some minor growing pains. I see your point about Buxton, but there’s also that 5-10% chance he turns into Mike Trout right out of the gate in 2017 which is one of those risks you consider taking. Mine is a money league, too. I think in going with Cueto, Martinez, and Sanchez, I can put put my emphasis on some bigger bats in the early rounds and might focus on trying to re-snag Buxton in the fourth or fifth post-keeper round.
Bryant, Betts and Correa are no doubters.
I’d take Cueto, Sanchez and Martinez. So many strikeouts and upside with them. It seems like an easy one, I wouldn’t expect Diaz to keep up, Buxton has not done jack, Urias still has a lot to prove and Cole may already be declining.
Wieters can’t find a team and the nationals are giving him a two year, with an opt out?
Just ridiculous…
Well, look at the Nats with the Max Scherzer deal
That total ($105 million) is being deferred without interest, reportedly through 2028.
Ted Lerner will be a 103 when it’s over
Not a great deal for either side. I’m sure Boras and wieters wanted more but the market is soft for a wieters skill set. Nats were probably bidding against themselves. Good catcher, not great. High price. Nats aren’t finished yet, I’m guessing they strengthen the bullpen.
I was just thinking “This wouldn’t be a Nats deal without a deferral”…. and there it is….
I’ll gladly repay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.
Today is Tuesday.
This is an awful deal for the Nats. A TWO year deal? and over 10 million per? That’s insane for a player that seemingly had no other options. I cant believe he got this much more than Ramos did even considering Ramos injury. Ramos is flat out better. Pretty upset at this as a Nats fan and as a huge believer in Ramos.
He had other options. Price-wise, it doesn’t value him as more than a ~1-1.5 WAR type of player, so it doesn’t seem excessive at all to me. Not saying it’s a slam dunk decision or a screaming value, but it’s more or less on par with what I expected once it became clear he was going to lag on the market.
What were these other options? Please share this with the rest of us.
Alright Nats, time to trade Norris to the Rays for a middle relief arm. How about Ryan Garton?
Nats with yet another deferral. They’ll have to account for them someday. They are mortgaging at the expense of their future
That worked out well for the Mets, so what could go wrong?
By the way, when is Bobby Bonilla Day?
Jayson Stark says DRob to Nats trade talks being rekindled.
Yeah, it has been in the post since about a minute after Stark’s tweet.
Apologies. I missed it.
All good, just stating it for the record!
Ongoing twitter dialogue:
Mark Zuckerman @MarkZuckerman 3h3 hours ago
Mark Zuckerman Retweeted Jayson Stark:
A potential big domino of Wieters deal. #WhiteSox need a catcher, and #Nats have a bunch of them now.
Jason Stark:
A team that has been talking with the White Sox says they’ve been waiting for Nats to sign Wieters to rekindle David Robertson trade talks
Jayson Stark @jaysonst 3h3 hours ago:
@jaysonst White Sox have been looking for a catcher. Derek Norris or Pedro Severino could be potential fits.
What took ya so long? LOL
Why do the Nats have a thing for deferrals? Seems like they could kill a budget in the future.
All depends whether they view it as a convenient way to finance an obligation or truly kicking the can down the road in a way that could hamstring future spending. Zero percent interest is always nice, in a vacuum.
How do deferrals impact Luxury Tax calculations?
AAV of the contract.
I would imagine that Scherzer would re-negotiate his deal to help out. I think Strasburg’s money was moved where it was so as to encourage him not to opt out.
The deferrals are because of the protracted battle with Peter Angelos over tv (masn)rights money. they’ve been battling for years, Norris and a mid-level prospect for Robertson would be a great fit. Lobaton is defintely a back up.
Great fit for which team? The white Sox want young players with upside, not cast offs. Deals need to work both ways.
Maybe they’ll just keep giving deferrals in the future, so in 2028 they’ll give Julio Urias a deferral until 2039.
(Just using Urias as an example because he’s like 19 and can still get a large contract in 11 years)
what about Norris?
Who will have a better 2017-2018 slash?
Weiters or Ramos?
As much as I like Ramos, Tampa is not a great place to hit, and the odds of it working out well for him are terrible given his history. He’s had almost nothing but bad luck, getting kidnapped, hamstring and leg issues for years, until finally putting together a career year in 2016, only to get hurt right before the playoffs and a big free-agency payoff. I hope he becomes the next good former catcher DH, but you can bet the Rays won’t be paying for that if it happens.
Tampa might not be a great place to hit but they the other parks in the AL east are.
I’m honestly confused by the Nationals’ entire off season strategy.
Well they got Joe Nathan, Jeremy Guthrie, and Matt Wieters. If they can turn back time to 2012 they’ll be all set.
Not even mad Tampa didn’t fetch him. Especially for that amount.
Stupid for the Nats. They had 3 capable catchers already so my guess is that Lobaton is as good as gone.
According to my calculations and confirmed by Cot’s BB Contracts with Wieters signing the Nationals MLB Payroll for 2017 with this signing comes to just about $192MM (AAV) all inclusive…40 man roster, benefits & incentives, etc… Unless they move some salary they most likely will exceed the Competitive Balance Tax Threshold of $197MM by the end of the season.
One would think Wieters contract would be an insignificant factor in regards to a potential luxury tax hit. After all, wasn’t this the same organization that was willing to shell out huge dollars for each of the 3 premium free agent closers that were available this past offseason?
That might be the case if not for the fact going over the threshold under the new CBA has a lot different ramifications then in the past. Plus they never went over the threshold before. They can this season.
Maybe the Braves will do a deal with the Nats to trade a good reliever for Pedro Severino since he is no longer in the picture. Could see either Jose Ramirez, Daniel Winkler, Armando Rivero, Chaz Roe, or Josh Collmenter for Severino.
Says “good reliever.” Lists #s 6, 8, 9, 10 and SP #8 on a rebuilding team’s depth chart. None of those guys likely crack the Nationals’ roster
read this on MLB.com think it’s ridiculous honestly
Looks like a solid, redundant deal for the Washington Deferrals, errr Nationals.
WHY? I wanted him for the halos! No wood no hammel and no
wieters! cmon billy…
Why? No need for the Angels to spend money on Matt. Our catching offense is solid, and the defense is great.. Better save the cash and use it next off-season or during the deadline.
Per Ken Rosenthal this afternoon:
“The assumption now is that the Nationals’ surplus at catcher will lead to a trade for White Sox closer David Robertson. But ownership blocked a proposed deal for Robertson earlier this month, sources said, and not everyone in the front office was convinced that he is the answer.
Robertson, who turns 32 on April 9, is owed $12 million this season and $13 million next season, and ownership has shown a willingness to extend only for elite closers such as Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon, both of whom the Nats bid on as free agents – and lost to the Dodgers and Giants, respectively.
Might ownership reverse course? It’s possible, but the White Sox almost certainly would want Severino, 23, over Norris, 28, or Lobaton, 32. And the Nats are reluctant to trade additional young talent after parting with three top young pitchers to the White Sox for center fielder Adam Eaton.”
Once the Matt Wieters signing is made official, the Nationals will have to free up a spot on their 40-man roster. That list already includes 5 catchers not counting Wieters. In lieu of a DFA, it would make sense for at least one of these catchers to be moved in a trade. Derek Norris and/or Jose Lobaton would be the ideal backstops to be dealt from the Nationals perspective. However, neither would be particularly appealing to the rebuilding White Sox who have the only remaining veteran closer available this late in the offseason in Robertson.
This could open the door for a potential 3-team deal with the clubs, bringing in a third party to take on either veteran catcher. or just a simpler trade involving the two that would include Pedro Severino who figures to be the White Sox desired target among the Nats excess backstops. Of course, it’s entirely possible that the Nats could work out a separate deal with another club involving either Norris or Lobaton.
Manager Dusty Baker has already chimed in that moving another catcher to make room for Wieters is the Nationals likely path. We also know per reports that Baker has been lobbying GM Mike Rizzo for a veteran upgrade at the closer position. Just saying….
Player option or opt out? What’s the difference ?
He’ll be a big contributor, fits right in as well. Nats have had success and Matt has played with a successful club over the last few years, as well as having individual success. Should have signed a one year deal though. I understand the move for him, as he can stay in the area.
I would never argue with describing Wieters as a “great tagger” as he definitely has a talent for that, but to say he “calls a great game” is just plain wrong. I’ve watched his entire career as an O’s fan and I have to say he’s one of the worst at calling pitches and picking locations. You can’t blame the catcher when he calls for a fastball and the pitcher puts it out over the plate when the catcher expected it tight inside but I regularly screamed at the broadcast when he would call multiple fastballs in a row and then switch to a breaking pitch when the hitter couldn’t catch up to the fastball. Guaranteed extra base hit every time he did it — like clockwork. He’s a great guy in the clubhouse, solid arm throwing to the bases but awful at calling a game.
Amazing how Matt Weiters couldn’t get a deal and yet comes up with a great 2 year, $21MM deal. I was expecting 1 year at $8MM at best.
These opt-out contracts are BS, how about a team opting out when you have a garbage season. Agents like Boras are killing BB, he is poison. 2 years and he can opt out after 1, WTF is that BS, so if he has a great season he leaves, thanks but no thanks.
Because Scott Boras really had the Nationals over a barrell with all the interest in Matt Wieters before they finally signed him last week on the eve of spring training. lol
Just when I thought Nats actually had a hole smh..this team is going to be really good again. smh