Baltimore Orioles: Catcher Search Continues as Castillo Talks Cool

After zeroing in on Welington Castillo, the Baltimore Orioles are no longer confident about signing the free agent catcher. Where will their search for a backstop lead?

It seemed like Welington Castillo was the Baltimore Orioles‘ top choice to become their next catcher, but a new report suggests that the two sides are going their separate ways. According to Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com, “Castillo has multi-year offers from multiple teams, and it is now ‘more likely’ that he’ll sign somewhere besides Baltimore, according to an industry source.”

Connolly goes on to say that the O’s and Castillo had been discussing a multi-year contract throughout this month, but those talks apparently hit a snag. Conventional wisdom says the bidding from other clubs may have priced the Orioles out.

The 29-year-old Castillo appeared to be a solid, somewhat under-the-radar option for Baltimore at the backstop position. He slashed .264/.322/.423 with 14 home runs and 68 RBI in 116 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. Since 2013 he has averaged a .254/.317/.415 line along with 14 homers and 51 RBI per season. Not exactly anything to write home about, but respectable offensive output for a catcher nonetheless.

Castillo has never really distinguished himself as a defender, but he hasn’t been a liability with the glove either. He rates as a poor pitch framer, but was responsible for seven defensive runs saved (DRS) this year.

Of course, the things that make Castillo appealing to the Orioles also catch the eyes of other teams, and if the recent update is to be believed, Baltimore is moving on to other alternatives. What is out there exactly?

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The catcher’s market certainly isn’t brimming with elite talent, but the more time passes, the more you can’t help but wonder if the O’s and Matt Wieters will eventually make their way back to one another. Agent Scott Boras remarked during last week’s Winter Meetings that he felt Wieters returning to Baltimore was “always a possibility” (not that he would say otherwise). However, Connolly points out at Boras has also hinted that the veteran backstop might not sign until January. The Orioles would prefer to sign someone before then so as to not risk missing out completely.

The 30-year-old Wieters didn’t help his free agency case much in 2016, posting a .243/.302/.409 slash with 17 home runs and 66 RBI. He’s never really developed into the bona fide star many thought he would become earlier in his career. His injury problems over the last few years have made his situation even murkier.

If no one is banging Wieters’ door down – as seems to be the case – then perhaps the O’s could swoop back in and ink their homegrown guy to a deal they are comfortable with. Scott Boras seems to work his magic more often than not, but this could be a scenario where the expected market just never materializes – to the Orioles’ benefit.

Baltimore has also been linked to free agents Nick Hundley and Chris Iannetta. While both would likely come cheap, you could argue whether either is legitimate starting material. Wilson Ramos could have been an intriguing gamble, but the division rival Rays got him on a two-year deal that could prove to be a huge bargain for Tampa Bay if the former Nationals catcher can stay on the field.

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It will be interesting to see how the Orioles ultimately fill their need behind the plate. It’s worth noting that minor leaguer Chance Sisco is viewed as the heir apparent at the position and could be ready in the next year or two, so a short-term stopgap might do the trick for Baltimore. Whether that leads them to Castillo, Hundley, Iannetta or even back to Wieters remains to be seen.

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