Wieters relieved, determined to improve after trade deadline

Like everyone else in the Nationals clubhouse, Matt Wieters was well aware of the dilemma his team's front office faced earlier this week as the July 31 trade deadline approached. And Wieters knew he might be affected more than just about anyone else, given his struggles the last two seasons and the sense general manager Mike Rizzo might be seeking a catching upgrade.

So when 4 p.m. Tuesday came and went and Wieters realized that his situation - like the majority of the roster - hadn't changed at all, he couldn't help but breathe easy. And appreciate the confidence Rizzo had just shown in him and others.

"I think it was probably the biggest relief no-move trade deadline I've ever been a part of," he said. "And probably for the whole team. Just because we feel like we have a team in place that can win. We know we haven't played like we should. And I know I haven't played as well as I'm capable of. I prepared myself for any way it might go, but I do feel like I can help this team win and help us get back to the playoffs."

The Nationals are banking on it. Their catchers ranked last in the majors with a .594 OPS last season, and they've plummeted to even lower depths this season (.544).

They didn't make any moves before the deadline, though. The price for J.T. Realmuto remained too high, and Wilson Ramos' hamstring strain - he's not expected back until September - was enough of a concern that they weren't willing to meet the Phillies' modest offer of a player to be named (plus the $2.8 million he was still owed this season).

So the Nats will proceed with Wieters as their No. 1 catcher and Spencer Kieboom as their No. 2.

"I like where Matt Wieters is at, the way he handles a pitching staff, the way he calls the game, the defensive skill," Rizzo said. "And hopefully his bat gets better as he gets into the flow of playing in the lineup every day. He's a professional catcher that has a track record of handling pitching staffs, and we feel comfortable that's he's going to be the guy to lead us."

Wieters was just starting to get into an offensive groove when he suffered a serious hamstring injury May 10 in Arizona. After a two-month stint on the disabled list, he's still trying to find his stroke again; in 14 games since he returned, he's batting only .163 with a .250 on-base percentage and .204 slugging percentage.

There have been some encouraging signs, though, most notably the ball Wieters crushed to deep right-center with the bases loaded during the second inning Thursday night. The entire ballpark thought he had hit a grand slam, but Wieters knew it wasn't a sure thing. And sure enough, Billy Hamilton made a leaping grab at the wall to rob him of extra bases.

"I knew I needed it to get a little bit of help," Wieters said. "It's one of those when you hit it, it was a 'maybe.' The ball was traveling that way, so I thought there was a chance it would get to the first row. I knew the pitch got in on me a little bit, just because I got a little bit of vibration. It wasn't flush. But it doesn't matter. We scored them all anyways. And more."

Indeed, they did. The Nationals proceeded to score six runs in the inning and cruised to a 10-4 victory.

Wieters is back in tonight's lineup, and manager Davey Martinez intends to increase his workload over the final two months (provided the catcher's body holds up). There's always a chance the Nationals could still try to acquire another catcher via an August waiver deal, but for now the job remains in Wieters' hands.

He won't let himself worry about it anymore.

"No, 'cause I'm just trying to think about how to get the swing going, and how to help us win games," he said. "You can worry about it, but if you don't win games it doesn't matter who comes in or who doesn't come in. We'll be going home. We've got to start winning games."