Tampa Bay Rays: A Matt Wieters Signing Could Make Sense
New reports suggest that the Tampa Bay Rays may be considering Matt Wieters as a free-agent signing.
Yesterday evening, Marc Topkin The Tampa Bay Times reported that the Tampa Bay Rays reportedly have an interest in catcher Matt Wieters. He notes that such an interest is still in the consideration category, but it exists nonetheless. Given his potential, such a deal could be a boon for the Tampa Bay Rays.
In Matt Wieters, the Tampa Bay Rays would be receiving a solid player with quite the upside. The four-time All-Star served as one of the better catchers in baseball for the Baltimore Orioles not too long ago. After his first full season in 2010, he spent four years as a constant source of pop and defense at a highly taxing position.
Unfortunately for both, the 2014 season got off to a bit of a rough start. Just a month or so in, Wieters began experiencing elbow issues and landed on the 15-day disabled list. He failed to heal, and the Orioles announced in mid-June that he had undergone Tommy John surgery to replace a damaged ulnar collateral ligament.
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Although the catcher missed the rest of 2014 and the first half of 2015, he provided the O’s with a much-welcomed boost upon his return. His power figures dropped a bit, but a higher batting average and average defense helped him to post another solid season. This trend more-or-less carried over into 2016, although his offensive statistics worsened further.
At age 30, it is probable that Matt Wieters has a few more good years left before aging completely wipes away his productivity. Sure, he may not quite the same player last season as in prior years, but this could make him an excellent value for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Wilson Ramos, the Tampa Bay Rays’ current catching option, will likely miss the beginning of the season. He is currently on the shelf with an ACL injury, and Marc Topkin has written that Ramos and the team are targeting a May return. Until then, Wieters would be a quality alternative behind the dish, and he could easily slot into the designated hitter’s role once Ramos returns.
Furthermore, Wilson Ramos may have played exceptionally well last season, but he could always regress back towards his prior work. In both 2014 and 2015, he batted significantly worse than last year’s .307/.354/.496 triple-slash. Ramos’ work in 2015, in fact, was so dismal that FanGraphs valued it as roughly replacement level. Armed with a .229 batting average and low walk rate, his glove and 15 home runs mostly salvaged his season.
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Considering how late it is in the winter, Matt Wieters will probably not find a large contract but rather require a mid-level sum. Perhaps a contract in the $10 million range could get the job done. The catcher may be willing to accept a one-year deal to rebuild some value after having a bit of a down year in 2016, dropping the cost of a deal into a suitable range for the small-budget Rays. As such, a Matt Wieters signing could make a good bit of sense for the Tampa Bay Rays.