More thoughts on Welington Castillo agreement

Does the Welington Castillo agreement officially slam the door on Matt Wieters' return?

It's a question that keeps coming to me, perhaps because some fans aren't ready to let him go.

The Orioles will pay Castillo $6 million next season assuming he passes a physical on Thursday. There's no reason to believe he won't unless he pulls up near the finish line at Pimlico.

But seriously ...

Wieters probably would have to settle for a one-year deal, the market completely dry, just to enter the discussion. And would the Orioles really pay their "backup" $6 million?

Caleb Joseph would have to be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and wait for an injury or roster expansion in September. Another odd scenario to consider.

This isn't really about Chance Sisco. He won't turn 22 until February and giving him a full season in the International League makes total sense as part of his ongoing development behind the plate. But he needs to play every day and the plan obviously would be complicated with Joseph in Norfolk. Plus, the Orioles still have Francisco Pena and Audry Perez in the organization.

I'm trying to leave the door cracked for Wieters, but it's hard to imagine how he would fit with Castillo in the fold.

Agent Scott Boras will figure it out. He just needs two teams to play against each other in negotiations. And Boras finding a mystery team is as routine as me finding the shopping cart with the bad wheel. It never fails.

Castillo wanted a three-year deal similar to the one Jason Castro landed with the Twins, but he's in a good position with the Orioles. The kind that doesn't require him to squat. He can become a free agent again next winter if he chooses, the market headlined by Jonathan Lucroy and then experiencing a steep decline. The Cardinals hold a $15 million option on Yadier Molina's contract.

Here's the complete list of pending free agent catchers following the 2017 season, courtesy of MLBTradeRumors.com:

Welington Castillo (31) - $7 million player option
Hank Conger (30)
A.J. Ellis (37)
Tyler Flowers (32) - $4 million club option with a $300,000 buyout
Jose Lobaton (33)
Jonathan Lucroy (32)
Yadier Molina (35) - $15 million club option with a $2 million buyout
Miguel Montero (34)
Rene Rivera (34)
Carlos Ruiz (39)
Chris Stewart (36) - $1.5 million club option with a $250,000 buyout
Josh Thole (31)
Bobby Wilson (35)

The Orioles, meanwhile, are in a good position with Castillo. They wanted him before the non-tender and certainly made him their No. 1 priority after he became a free agent. They're getting him for $6 million next season, a bargain by today's standards.

They're not on the hook for three guaranteed years and are willing to let him walk after the 2017 season. How often do they hand over player options? But they can make it work whether Castillo stays for two seasons or exercises the option. Sisco remains their catcher of the future. This isn't a major roadblock.

The Orioles are fine with Joseph backing up again next season, knowing he'll give them solid defense and most likely improve his offensive production.

Castillo owns a career .734 OPS and 11.1 WAR in seven seasons and has thrown out 31 percent of runners attempting to steal. Wieters owns a career .739 OPS and 16.3 WAR in eight seasons and has thrown out 33 percent of runners attempting to steal. The Orioles are fine with the comparisons.

They weren't fine with making Wieters a qualifying offer that would have paid him $17.2 million next season if he accepted it, and they weren't fine with committing a significant chunk of their payroll to the catching position while also trying to re-sign Mark Trumbo, find a right fielder and hand out raises to their arbitration players. There's only so much to go around.

This won't be a popular move in the clubhouse. Wieters is well-liked, to say the least, and a leader who's more vocal than the public tends to perceive. Players wanted him back and weren't shy about expressing it. But they also understand that it's a business.

If Nick Markakis can be replaced, so can Matt Wieters. It's about letting go. And this is what figures to happen with Castillo agreeing to terms.