The Orioles are coming off an 89-win season and playoff berth in 2016, and with core contributors like Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Jonathan Schoop, and Chris Tillman returning, they're likely to angle for contention again in 2017.

Of course, if they're going to contend in the tough AL East, then they'll need to get around to replacing Matt Wieters, the long-time Baltimore catcher who's likely headed elsewhere via free agency. On that front, Dan Connolly of Baltimore Baseball writes that the Orioles may have found their target in Welington Castillo:

According to industry sources, the Orioles have had continued negotiations with Castillo's representatives since the winter meetings ended Thursday in Washington D.C., and there is optimism that a multi-year deal could get done. But it is still firmly in the discussion phase.

Castillo, who'll turn 30 in late April, was somewhat surprisingly non-tendered by the Diamondbacks earlier this month. That means he's available for hire.

Last season, Castillo batted .264/.322/.423 (93 OPS+) with 14 home runs in 113 games. Across parts of seven big-league seasons, he owns an OPS+ of 97, which is solid production by catcher standards.

Castillo's not known as an elite handler of pitchers or a framer, but he's got a fairly strong arm behind the plate. Beyond that, his power potential fits in with the Orioles' homer-first approach on offense.