Trading For Matt Wieters Should Be Atlanta Braves’ Top Offseason Priority
By Nick Villano
@nick_villano
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Braves were one of the most disappointing teams in 2014. Early-season injuries and a less-than-stellar offense caused them to miss the playoffs. Now, they are trying to fix things by trading Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals for Shelby Miller. That leaves a big hole in the Braves’ lineup.
Some may think the Braves would like to move Evan Gattis to the outfield full time. Unfortunately for them, that leaves a huge hole at catcher. That is a position that is extremely light around the league. So why would the Baltimore Orioles even consider trading one of the best young catchers in the game?
They have tried to lock up Matt Wieters over the past few offseasons. His agent Scott Boras isn’t helping much. Now, the Orioles aren’t even negotiating this offseason. This is going to be a contract year for Wieters. It seems like the Orioles may be willing to wait until the 11th hour to get a deal done, if they want one at all.
It is peculiar to think the Orioles are willing to give up such a talent, but like they say, baseball is a business.
The Orioles were able to survive without Wieters last year as he was recovering from Tommy John Surgery. They went all the way to the American League Championship series without him, losing to the Kansas City Royals.
There are no good free-agent catchers on the market now that the Toronto Blue Jays signed Russell Martin. The Braves are going to have to pay hefty to get Wieters. They have a plethora of young pitching that can be part of this deal. While some are returning from injury, it is still better than what the Orioles currently have on staff. They can mix up some proven talent and some prospects to make a deal happen.
The Braves sorely need offense. They would also love to have Gattis in the outfield. Wieter’s power numbers have been on the rise. He is a perfect player for the Braves to build their current product around. It would be a surprise blockbuster, but the Braves are used to that by now.
Nick Villano is the New Jersey Devils writer for Rant Sports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.
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