masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe 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…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.