Is Wieters' Future With The Orioles?

I know it's early, but let me pose a question for you all.  Who has been the MVP so far this season?  Take a moment, think about it.  My vote of course, is backstop, Matt Wieters.  Yes, I realize we now are a whole 4 games into the 2012 season.  This topic came to me and got me thinking; we seem to be witnessing another season in the maturation of our young catcher.

Wieters is playing his age 26 season in 2012.  A quick glance at his career numbers, courtesy of Baseball Reference, indicate that his offensive capabilities are beginning to be realized at the major league level.  In 2011, Wieters hit 22 homeruns, which was good enough for the fifth highest total for a catcher that year.  The Orioles backstop also received a Gold Glove, awarded for defensive excellence over all other AL catchers.

Over the years, as Wieters was set to debut, I heard from analysts on TV, that he profiled as a "Mauer with power."  While that comparison was ridiculous at the time, if we revisit the conversation now, I think they compare favorably.  While Mauer is certainly the better overall athlete and pure hitter, Wieters holds the edge in power, durability, age, and is approaching Mauer defensively.

Another story that made me consider this topic was that of current St. Louis Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina.  As many of you may have heard,  Molina signed an extension to stay in St. Louis (reaction to losing Pujols), which amounted to 5 years and $75 million.  You may ask, what does this have to do with Wieters?  The answer is that while Yadier Molina is currently better than Matt defensively, he has not shown the same power potential throughout his career.  Once the ink is dry on one contract, that contract effectively sets the market for that position.

The earliest that Matt Wieters can become a free agent is 2016.  If Wieters keeps improving his game and becomes a star, will the Orioles be able to resign him?  Wieters' agent is Scott Boras, notoriously known for pushing his players to test the free agent market.  I think the Orioles have no choice but to start exploratory talks to lock up their catcher now, before he effectively prices himself out of their range.  As of now, Molina set the bar at $15 million a year.  That number will probably only increase, given that Mike Napoli and Brian McCann (two other star catchers) are set to hit the market soon.

It would ABSOLUTELY be in the Orioles best interests to try and lock Wieters up now.  He can be a building block for our organization for years to come.  He handles the staff well, can throw out baserunners, holds his own offensively, and is a good clubhouse guy.  If Dan Duquette is listening or reading this, DO NOT let Wieters get away!! There would be NO worse feeling than seeing a homegrown guy flourish in another uniform!