The Rays have reportedly made an offer to free-agent catcher Matt Wieters

The veteran catcher is still available, and his market has probably shrunk

Pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring training, and one very prominent catcher remains unsigned. We speak, of course, of Matt Wieters, formerly of the Orioles. Free agents who stick around this long are, obviously, not happy with what the market has presented them. From the team standpoint, that means a potential bargain. One team that likes a potential bargain? The tight-fisted Rays. On that point, here’s the word from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times:

First, and most important, is the Rays are serious enough to have made an offer, likely for one year and certainly for millions of dollars less than what Wieters and agent Scott Boras are seeking.

Yep, there’s that part about the free agent in question not liking the possibilities that the market has yielded. In any event, Wieters last season accepted a qualifying offer from the Orioles, so he’s probably not in the mood for yet another short-term pillow contract. That said, such an arrangement may be his only option. 

Wieters is headed into his age-31 season and coming off a 2016 campaign in which he batted .243/.302/.409 (87 OPS+) with 17 home runs in 124 games. For his career, he owns an OPS+ of 98 across parts of eight big-league seasons. He’s been solid producer by the standards of his primary position for a long time. 

On the downside, he showed signs of decline last year as he entered his thirties, and it’s open question as to how his core skill -- hitting power -- will translate outside of homer-friendly Camden Yards. As well, he doesn’t grade out as a strong pitch-framer, and framing is a skill the Rays typically have sought out in their catchers, at least in recent years. Still, the market for Wieters may be soft enough to drive his price down to acceptable levels for a team like the Rays.