The catching position has been a weakness for the team in recent years and the platoon combo of Yasmani Grandal and A.J. Ellis isn’t setting the world on fire, leading to speculation the front office could look for help before the trade deadline.
Another reason for a potential deal is the big money contract of Alex Guerrero. The former Cuban National player signed a four-year deal worth $28 million, but the recent signing of Cuban defector Hector Olivera to a $60 million deal has many baseball experts what they now have planned.
Matt Wieters is considered one of the best young catchers in the game, but the 28-year-old suffered an injury that required Tommy John surgery last summer and has yet to play since that time. Baltimore does expect their star to return in the coming weeks, but he is now considered expendable with the solid offensive production in the early part of the 2015 MLB season.
Several sources expect the LA Dodgers to move Guerrero before the trade deadline later this summer and while Wieters hasn’t been mentioned much, it’s a deal that makes sense for both organizations. Both players are young enough to help for several years and have shown with playing time they can produce solid numbers at the plate.
The baseball season is still young, but history has shown that those teams that do well in April through June, often extend that play through the whole season. Both of these teams have high expectations, but it couldn’t hurt to use a trade now to increase their chances for success and create some good public relations with the fans. .