Done deal: Wieters ready to play
Switch-hitting backstop looking forward to pro career
B/T Ht Wt DOB POS Signed
S/R 6'04" 225 1986/5/21 C 08/15/07
As much as signing his contract was a cause for celebration for catcher Matt
Wieters, he could also finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Wieters, the Orioles' first-round pick and the fifth overall pick in the 2007
First-Year Player Draft, signed a Minor League contract just minutes before the
11:59 p.m. ET deadline on Wednesday night and spoke to the media Thursday for
the first time since officially joining the Baltimore organization.
He said after the sweaty palms and last-minute decisions, it's nice to know
that he can get started with his career as a baseball player.
"Ultimately, you have to make the decision for yourself," said Wieters, who
admitted he's not a very outspoken individual. "When it comes down to going
back to school or playing for Baltimore, ultimately it comes down to what's
best in your heart. Now that this is all over, I'm just looking forward to
getting out there and playing."
A switch-hitting catcher out of Georgia Tech, Wieters was thought to be one of
the best position players in the Draft. Nevertheless, there was much
speculation that he and the Orioles' front office wouldn't reach an agreement,
and he said he planned to return to school to complete his senior year if the
negotiations failed.
Scott Boras, Wieters' agent, discussed the details of the negotiations, which
he said ended about 10 minutes before the deadline. Boras said Andy MacPhail,
Baltimore's president of baseball operations, called him with an offer at about
9 p.m. After back-and-forth conversations between MacPhail, Boras, Wieters and
the young catcher's family, Wieters agreed to the contract and a $6 million
signing bonus and MacPhail officially got word that the talks were over and
they had a deal.
Boras represents baseball talent such as Alex Rodriguez, J.D. Drew, Barry
Zito and Mark Teixeira as well as Orioles Jeremy Guthrie and Corey Patterson.
The agent made reference to another catcher he advises, Boston's Jason Varitek,
as he talked about what kind of player he expects Wieters to be.
"One thing that Matt is very good at is he's a great athlete, but he also has
that temperament, that Varitek quality, where he understands people, he
understands how to evaluate situations and go forward," Boras said. "In
managing this process ... his preparedness and his ability in a very
unemotional fashion to lay information and evaluate what he wanted to do says a
lot about how he plays the game and what kind of player he'll be in the Major
Leagues."
If Baltimore hadn't been able to reach an agreement in time, it would have
received a compensatory pick at a similar point in next year's Draft. Boras
said that would have been the wrong decision.
"The fact is, there probably isn't going to be a player like Matt in next
year's Draft or many other Drafts," Boras said. "When you get a catcher, a
premium position player with skill, fortitude and all the characteristics Matt
has, these are franchise decisions."
Wieters said his exact destination in the Orioles' system won't be discussed
until after he completes his physical examination next week, but he's satisfied
simply knowing that his status is set.
"We definitely celebrated after we got it done," Wieters said of the moments he
spent with his mother and his girlfriend early Thursday morning. "It's a big
step in my life and now I actually know where I'll be headed for the next
year."
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Let's go Orioles.
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