The New York Yankees need catching, that's a given. They are also crossing their fingers, though they won't state this publicly, hoping Alex Rodriguez gets suspended or even banned from baseball. The repercussions will make Yankee fans glad as they team will get money in return, while the rest of baseball can only watch the richest organization in the game make moves. The Baltimore Orioles might be the first team to take a hit as manager Buck Showalter foresees the future.
Showalter, who is trying to get the Orioles' back to the playoffs, predicts that a Rodriguez ban will allow the Yankees to pick up other team's stars. Matt Weiters is the Orioles' catcher. He won't be eligible for free agency until 2016, giving the Yankees enough time to prepare a sweet deal that could sweep the Orioles' catcher off his feet.
Showalter is trying to make a case against an A-Rod suspension. The Yankees have been crippled by a decade of overspending. Now, they are struggling to get healthy and unable to buy superstars, which has given other baseball teams a chance to compete and knocked the Yankees into fourth place in the A.L. East. Getting rid of A-Rod, Showalter argues, would benefit New York. "If Bud (Selig) lets them get away with that, they're under the luxury tax. If they can reset, they can spend again, and I guarantee you in two years Matt Wieters is in New York."
Weiters is the Orioles' first pick from the 2007 draft, where he went fifth overall. He is a switch-hitting catcher with pop, ranking sixth in baseball with 14 home runs amongst catchers. In 2012, Weiters posted career highs, hitting 23 home runs and driving in 83 runs. Defensively, Weiters is one of the best, throwing out a career high 34 base stealers (37 percent) in 2011. In 2012 he followed up with 32 base stealers caught (39 percent).
The league has learned its lesson entering the 2013 season. He's gunned out 40 percent of base stealers, clipping 18 of 45 attempts this season. Catchers around baseball are throwing out only an average of 25 percent of their base stealers, proving Weiters is a commodity on both offense and defense.
Getting rid of A-Rod will allow the Yankees to become spenders, though they didn't win from 2000-2008 when they spent the heaviest, there will be plenty of talent available for the Yankees to snatch up.
