When the news broke Aug. 22 that the Orioles had optioned backup catcher Caleb Joseph to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Matt Wieters' return from paternity leave, it seemed somewhat surprising.
At the end of the 2015 season, with Wieters all but expected to sign a lucrative free-agent contract elsewhere, Joseph was clearly the heir apparent to the Orioles' starting job. During the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Joseph averaged 10 home runs and nearly 40 RBIs a season.
But then the unexpected happened, and Wieters accepted the Orioles' qualifying offer, relegating Joseph to a backup role. And it may be this backup role that proved to be Joseph's undoing.
