Most Baltimore Orioles fans had probably come to terms with the fact that Matt Wieters wouldn’t be on the team any longer. Odds are, that happened some time ago. But the good and bad news is that he’s staying in the neighborhood.
Wieters signed with the Washington’s Nationals yesterday. So if you liked him in Baltimore, he’ll still be in the neighborhood! Wieters signed a two-year deal, worth $21 million ($11 million the first year). He does have the option of opting out after year one.
So in the coming days we’ll see people wondering how the O’s could allow “their guy” to go right down the pike. Keep in mind, that if the Orioles wanted to keep Wieters, he’d still be here. That’s not to say hat they wouldn’t be a better team with him, however they felt that their money was spent better elsewhere. And I would tend to agree.
Again, the O’s would be a better team with Wieters. But his production went down after his surgery a couple of years ago. So does this mean he’s over the hill? Not in the least! He’ll have a great season this year down in DC. In fact, he’ll probably make an already formidable pitching staff even stronger.
He also has a manager in Dusty Baker, who’s similar to Showaler in Baltimore. He’s an old school manager who lets his team do their thing without getting in the way. At the end of the day, Wieters will have a great year in DC. But the O’s did the right thing by walking away.
Birdland Crush 