Matt Wieters Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz and Speculation Surrounding Star Catcher

All-Star catcher Matt Wieters is viewed by most as a key piece of the puzzle for the Baltimore Orioles moving forward, but according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Orioles aren't against trading the 27-year-old backstop.

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Sources: #Orioles willing to trade Wieters. Both Wieters and Chris Davis two years away from free agency and represented by Scott Boras.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 13, 2013"

The 2013 MLB season was somewhat disappointing for the Orioles, who failed to qualify for the playoffs after shocking the baseball world by earning a wild-card berth one year earlier. Wieters' inconsistency at the plate certainly seemed to contribute to Baltimore's struggles.

While Wieters didn't regress much from a power perspective after a career year in 2012, he struggled mightily to get on base. He hit 22 home runs and drove in 79 runs, but he set career lows in batting average at .235 and on-base percentage at a mere .287. He also took just 43 walks in 523 at-bats.

After being named to the American League All-Star team in 2011 and 2012, Wieters failed to earn that honor in 2013. He also fell short in his bid for a third consecutive Gold Glove Award, although he is still considered to be one of the best defensive catchers in baseball.   

The Orioles' starting rotation over the past couple years has been questionable to say the least, but Wieters has handled the pitchers expertly, and that is a big reason for Baltimore's success.

With free agency just two years away, though, it may not be a bad idea for the Orioles to deal him while his value is still high. If the Orioles wait, it's possible that his offensive numbers will continue to decline. Also, teams won't be willing to pay as much if there isn't much time remaining on his contract.

Should the Orioles opt to trade Wieters this offseason, they may explore the free-agent market to replace him.

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Keep in mind with #Orioles: If they trade Wieters, they can replace him by signing one of the free-agent catchers.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 13, 2013"

This is a particularly strong year for free-agent catchers with Brian McCann, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, A.J. Pierzynski and Carlos Ruiz all available. With that in mind, now may be the best possible time for the Orioles to explore how much interest there might be in Wieters.

Trading Wieters would obviously create a void behind the plate, but there are ways to fill that void, and it may very well be worth it to the Orioles if they can address another need in the deal such as a top-of-the-rotation starter.

It isn't yet clear which teams are interested, but this is definitely a storyline worth following throughout the offseason. 

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