By Adam Kilgore
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 8, 2007

BALTIMORE, June 7 -- The Baltimore Orioles selected Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters with the fifth overall pick in Thursday's draft. Wieters, regarded by Baseball America as the best college hitter in the draft, is a client of agent Scott Boras, which likely means a difficult negotiation.

Orioles Vice President Mike Flanagan called the Boras connection a "nonissue" and expects to sign Wieters before the Aug. 15 deadline.

Boras and Orioles owner Peter Angelos haven't always had harmonious negotiations, but Boras tried dispelling those notions. "We're both attorneys," he said. "Our conversations over the years have always been very dynamic."

Baltimore lost its second- and third-round choices because of offseason free agent signings, so it is possible it could use the money that would have been slotted for those picks to help sign Wieters.

Still, both Flanagan and Joe Jordan, the Orioles' director of scouting, said none of that came into play when they selected Wieters; they simply chose the best available player.

"He was certainly at the top of board as a position player," Flanagan said. "We were hoping he would still be there."

Wieters comes with major league defensive skills. His arm is so strong that at Georgia Tech, he often caught for eight innings, then pitched the ninth as a closer.

Boras compared Wieters, a switch-hitting junior, to Jason Varitek, also a Georgia Tech alum. Wieters hit .359 with 35 home runs and 198 RBI in 185 career college games. Jordan lauded him for his strike-zone discipline: 152 walks and 108 strikeouts.

Wieters could begin as high as Class AA Bowie, depending how quickly he signs, Flanagan said. More likely, he'll begin in either Class A Delmarva or Frederick to adjust to wooden bats.

"Everything together, this guy should be on an accelerated pace," Jordan said. "It all depends on how soon he signs."

X-rays of catcher Ramon Hernandez's groin taken Wednesday night in Seattle were negative. He returned to Baltimore with trainer Richie Bancells and was scheduled to meet with a team physician Thursday, but the injury is likely only a bruise.