WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Nationals had been the speculated landing spot for free-agent catcher Matt Wieters this offseason, and the two sides reached a deal on Tuesday, according to the Washington Post.The club has not confirmed the deal, which is reportedly a two-year, $21 million contract with an option after the first season. Wieters would get $10 million in 2017 and $11 million
if he returns in '18.
if he returns in '18. Wieters, who turns 31 in May, could help fill a void left after the Nationals lost starting catcher Wilson Ramos, who tore his ACL in September and signed with the Rays during free agency. Wieters spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Orioles, where he became a four-time All-Star, most recently in 2016. He has always been a strong offensive player, and adding him to the mix would lengthen an already deep Nationals lineup.However, Wieters comes with questions. He had Tommy John surgery in 2014 that limited him to 101 games between 2014-15. This past season, he appeared in 124 games and hit .243/.302/.409 with 17 home runs and a career-low 87 OPS+, where 100 is the league average. His pitch-framing metrics have been poor at minus 7.3 runs below average, per StatCorner.Even when the Nationals were linked to Wieters during the offseason, they downplayed their interest and did not pursue him aggressively. But general manager Mike Rizzo always seeks a good deal, so as the market for Wieters never materialized and he remained a free agent, Washington was likely able to grab him at a discounted price.It's the second time in the past week that the Nationals have landed a good deal in free agency; they signed Adam Lind to a contract the day before Spring Training began. Wieters is also set to become the latest client of agent Scott Boras to join the Nats on a team that includes Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, Stephen Drew and Jayson Werth.Signing Wieters is another signal that the Nationals' offseason, as quiet as it has been, is perhaps not over.The Nats' 40-man roster is full, so any deal involving him would require a corresponding move. And they will potentially have a surplus of catchers, with Wieters, Derek Norris, Jose Lobaton and Pedro Severino, their No. 11 prospect as rated by MLBPipeline.com. It is possible that Washington will try and turn that catching depth into help at the back end of the bullpen, as its search for a closer continues.The White Sox have needs at catcher, and the Nationals have been interested in acquiring closer David Robertson, so there is a possible fit. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported "a team that has been talking with the White Sox says they have been waiting for the Nats to sign Wieters to rekindle David Robertson trade talks."Jamal Collier/ MLB.com
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