MLB Free Agency 2017: 5 potential teams for Matt Wieters

 The once highly-touted Matt Wieters is a free agent this offseason, and here are five teams that could sign the veteran catcher.

After being drafted fifth overall in 2007 out of Georgia Tech, Matt Wieters was anointed next in line behind Joe Mauer as a great offensive catcher in the American League. Now 30 years old, Wieters is a four-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glover with three 20-plus home run seasons on his resume.

But Wieters’ offensive output declined a fair amount this past season, with a .243 batting average and a .711 OPS. Based on FanGraphs’ measure of Defensive Runs Saved, Wieters has also declined defensively over the last couple seasons. Tommy John surgery in 2014 probably hasn’t helped, but it’s also no surprising the Baltimore Orioles chose not to extend Wieters a $17.2 million qualifying offer a couple of weeks ago.

Not being tied to draft pick compensation should help widen the number of teams interested in signing Wieters this offseason, and he’s arguably this winter’s top free agent catcher. Here are five teams that should be in the market for help behind the plate, and thus in the market for Wieters’ services.

5. Baltimore Orioles

As of right now, Caleb Joseph would likely be Baltimore’s Opening Day catcher next season. Top prospect Chance Sisco may be given a chance to win the starting job ins spring training, and he may reach the big leagues at some point in 2017 no matter what,, but Sisco only has just 18 Triple-A plate appearances under his belt.

If only as a one or two-year stop-gap until Sisco is deemed to be ready, it would not be shocking to see the Orioles circle back to Wieters. His interest in returning to the team is unclear, with the decision not to give him a qualifying offer a possible sticking point, but one more year with the Orioles could put Wieters in better position for a nice contract a year from now.