Nats think reduced workload will be beneficial for Wieters

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Catcher Matt Wieters will be back behind the plate for the Nationals next season, having exercised his $10.5 million player option. But the guaranteed contract doesn't mean he'll carry the same workload.

The numbers the veteran backstop amassed during his first season in D.C. were abysmal. He caught in 118 games as the Nats grew increasingly dissatisfied with backup Jose Lobaton's lack of offense and unusually poor defense, and had little positive to show for it. Wieters hit .225/.288/.344, posting the lowest batting average and slugging percentage, and second-worst on-base percentage of his nine major league seasons. The switch-hitter struggled from both sides of the plate, unable to tweak his mechanics and find a fix for his offensive woes. He threw out only 25 percent of runners attempting to steal and the 76 steals he allowed were the fifth most in the majors. A stunningly poor defensive inning in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series will stick in fans' minds - and Wieters' craw - for some time to come.

But new manager Dave Martinez, who saw a lot of Wieters in an Orioles uniform when he was bench coach under Joe Maddon in Tampa Bay, still sees value in what Wieters brings to his position and thinks he knows the way to get more out of the veteran backstop.

"What I do know is that our pitching staff loves to throw to him," Martinez said. "He's a great communicator, he's a leader, I know he had some injuries that he dealt with last year a little bit, and I'm looking forward to him being healthy and leading our pitching staff. And we have talked a lot about him being a little older maybe getting some more days off just to keep him healthy throughout the whole year."

If Wieters had a significant injury last season, something other than the normal wear and tear associated with the most demanding physical position on the diamond, he didn't make it known. There were a couple of mentions of Wieters dealing with a sore back, but it's clear that he is no longer capable of the 140-game workload he shouldered early in his career.

"We think Wieters is going to be a bounceback candidate this year," said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. "He caught a lot of games last year; we'd like to curtail that a little bit."

That means the Nationals have to find a reliable backup capable of catching 40 or more games a season who can mesh with the pitching staff, control the running game and chip in on offense. While there are plenty of available veteran catchers who would seem to be candidates - Alex Avila, Nick Hundley, Lonathan Lucroy, Rene Rivera among them - the Nationals seem content to turn Lobaton's old job over to their in-house catcher in waiting.

Barring an unexpected change of plans, Pedro Severino seems to be the choice to back up Wieters. The 24-year-old has only 27 games of major league experience over parts of three seasons and could benefit from a season as Wieters' backup.

While Severino held his own in the NLDS two years ago when pressed into service by Wilson Ramos' knee injury, he regressed as a hitter last season at Triple-A Syracuse. In 59 games, he slashed .242/291/.332 with only nine extra-base hits in 211 at-bats. But he carries a reputation as a good defender with a strong arm and some speed on the basepaths, which is unusual for a catcher. He's also making close to the major league minimum, which afford the Nationals some financial flexibility elsewhere on the roster.

"We like the upside of Severino and fortunately, in our organization, we've have a lot of depth, catcher-wise," Rizzo said. "Raudy Read is right around the corner and Sevy has shown us he can handle a pitching staff defensively and has shown flashes offensively as being a guy that can be an everyday catcher for us."