Wieters to stay with Nationals, exercises 2018 option

Matt Wieters will be back with the Washington Nationals next season, as the veteran catcher has exercised his $10.5-million player option for the 2018 campaign, according to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post.

In 2017, after landing a contract with Washington following an eight-year run with the Baltimore Orioles, Wieters stumbled through the worst season of his career, managing minus-0.2 WAR in 123 games and recording new personal lows in OPS (.632), wRC+ (62), and isolated power (.118).

Still, since debuting with the Orioles in 2009, Wieters has been an All-Star four times. The 31-year-old was one of the game's better catchers as recently as 2016, when he accrued 1.8 WAR with 17 homers and a .711 OPS in 124 games.