Matt Wieters accepts Orioles' qualifying offer

By Pete Kerzel

Orioles

November 13, 2015, 12:07pm

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The Orioles today announced that catcher Matt Wieters has accepted the club's Qualifying Offer and will return for the 2016 season. Wieters, 29, batted .267/.319/.422 with eight home runs and 25 RBI in 75 games with the Orioles this season. He finished the season riding an eight-game hitting streak (.444/.545/.741) and slugged the 100th home run of his career in Game 2 of a doubleheader on September 30 against Toronto, becoming the 24th player in club history to hit 100 home runs. A three-time All-Star, Wieters has won two Gold Glove Awards and batted .258/.320/.423 with 100 home runs and 371 RBI over seven seasons with the Orioles. Since 2009, he has caught 130 would-be base stealers, the most among American League catchers. With this move, the Orioles now have 37 players on their 40-man Major League roster. Additionally, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen and infielder Chris Davis have officially declined the club's Qualifying Offers, becoming free agents.