SWITCH-HITTING FREE-AGENT RETURNS ON ONE-YEAR CONTRACT FOR 2020
ST. LOUIS, MO., January 22, 2020 –The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have agreed to terms with free-agent catcher Matt Wieters (pronounced WEE-ters) on a one-year contract for the upcoming 2020 season.
Wieters, 33, returns to the Cardinals for a second-straight season. He signed with St. Louis on February 27 last year as a non-roster invitee, and was a key member of the Redbirds’ N.L. Central Division-winning club, appearing in 67 games (54 starts).
The 6-5, 235-pound Wieters hit 11 home runs last season, his most since 2016, and threw out 8 of 19 (42 pct.) attempted base-stealers. Wieters owns a career .250 batting mark with 146 HR’s and 546 RBI in 1,148 games played and he begins 2020 just 11 hits shy of 1,000 for his career. His 146 career home runs rank 6th all-time among switch-hitting catchers.
Before joining St. Louis last season, Wieters had played two seasons (2017-18) with the Washington Nationals after an eight-year stint in Baltimore where he was named an American League All-Star four times (2011-12, 2014 & 2016).
A former first round (5th player overall) draft selection of the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 out of Georgia Tech University, Wieters was a Rawlings Gold Glove recipient in both 2011 and 2012.
Wieters addition puts the Cardinals 40-man Major League roster at a full 40.
