masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgOrioles catcher Matt Wieters celebrated his new contract tonight with dinner at a nice restaurant. Nothing too fancy.

He wasn’t popping champagne corks over his $7.7 million deal for 2014. He’s just glad to avoid a possible arbitration hearing later this month.

Wieters had filed at $8.75 million and the Orioles countered at $6.5 million. The sides usually split the difference.

“It’s nice,” Wieters said. “I’m very grateful to be able to have it behind me. It’s never something that…Orioles catcher Matt Wieters celebrated his new contract tonight with dinner at a nice restaurant. Nothing too fancy.

He wasn’t popping champagne corks over his $7.7 million deal for 2014. He’s just glad to avoid a possible arbitration hearing later this month.

Wieters had filed at $8.75 million and the Orioles countered at $6.5 million. The sides usually split the difference.

Matt-Wieters_Catching-White-Tall.gif“It’s nice,” Wieters said. “I’m very grateful to be able to have it behind me. It’s never something that you want to go through. It’s something where you want to be able to agree on terms with your team and be able to sort of move on and think about what every player wants to think about, getting ready for the season.”

Wieters is under team control for two more seasons. He’s going to be hounded by questions about an extension and the possibility of leaving as a free agent.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette has engaged agent Scott Boras in extension talks twice without coming close to an agreement.

“For me, it’s not really a thought process,” he said. “It’s something where my best focus, the best thing for the team, is to focus on the field. If Scott and Dan want to continue conversations, I’m all for that, but my focus is on the field until something comes to my attention that I have to give an answer to.”

First baseman Chris Davis also is represented by Boras and also can become a free agent following the 2015 season.

“They are part of our core and we’ve got them for the next couple of years,” Duquette said earlier tonight in a phone interview on WBAL Radio. “I’m more focused on trying to fill out our pitching staff for this year. Hopefully, we’ll get beyond the signing season here in a couple of weeks and we can get on with the rest of our ballclub.”