Counterpoint: Good Riddance, Matt Wieters

With news today that Matt Wieters has signed with the Nationals, I sense that Orioles fans (and some writers) may need therapy.

Matt Wieters is not coming back to Baltimore. Throw the love letters out, burn the pictures and take his leather jacket to Goodwill. He isn’t coming back.

I’ll start by admitting that I have never liked Wieters as a player. I’m more of a fan of guys who meet or exceed their potential. The hype train that rolled into Baltimore ahead of Wieters was incredible, but unfortunately the only part that stayed in Charm City was the caboose. 

“Switch hitting Jesus,” as he was once dubbed, did perform the miracle of turning water into wine as he made me drink every time he came to the plate with his .240 batting average.  I also loathe how when his bat failed to materialize, the Orioles PR team, fans and writers made up his mythical defensive prowess. 

He was good, but even the advanced defensive metrics show he wasn’t the best, as some made him out to be.

[Related: So Long, Matt Wieters]

I know you guys & gals tend to cling onto guys who play here for a while, but honestly: ask yourself what he could have done for the 2017 Orioles.  He’s not a starting catcher (at least not for much longer) and when I think about the other places you hide former catchers I just think of the O’s failed effort to make Javy Lopez a first baseman. 

How about DH?  Yeah, I could probably find a slow-of-foot .256 hitter a bit cheaper. Despite your efforts to canonize him, .256 is his career average. 

Have I mentioned he hasn’t managed to play more than 125 games in any of the last three seasons?

Look, I understand loving a flawed person – hell, someone was willing to marry me. I’m sorry, but it’s over. Matt is not coming back and you shouldn’t want him. 

Play “your song” one more time on the iPod and then root for the guys actually still on the O’s roster.