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The Spectacle Blog
Free agent outfielder Jayson Werth has signed a seven-year $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals.
Although Werth was the Baltimore Orioles top draft pick in 1997 he was something of a late bloomer not reaching the majors until 2002 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. After two undistinguished seasons in Toronto, the Jays traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for reliever Jason Frasor prior to the 2004 season. Werth didn’t perform much better in L.A. and a wrist injury forced him to miss the entire 2006 season. Eventually, the Dodgers gave up on him.
The Philadelphia Phillies took a chance on Werth prior to the 2007 season and he would finally find his place in bigs, although it actually wasn’t until 2008 when Werth became an everyday player. The Phillies, of course, won the World Series in ‘08.
Werth was part of Phillie teams that reached the post-season for four consecutive seasons. Things are going to be very different in D.C. Werth was surrounded with an All-Star cast which included the likes of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Carlos Ruiz. With Adam Dunn now a member of the Chicago White Sox, Werth and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman are the offensive focal points of the Nationals. The supporting cast is mighty thin.
The other obvious concern is the length of Werth’s contract. It would be one thing if the Nats signed Werth to a seven year deal if he were 26 (like the Colorado Rockies did when they recently extended Troy Tulowitzki’s contract). But Werth is 31. I can see Werth having two or three productive years with the Nats, but do the Nats really expect Werth to be an offensive force much less effectively patrol right field in 2017 when he is 38?
Have the Nationals made a “werthwhile” investment? Or could this be the worst spending to come out of Washington since Obamacare?
View all comments (6) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/12/05/has-washington-made-a-werthwhi
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JP| 12.6.10 @ 8:54AM
A GM should rarely offer an aging vet his "big contract". This deal is something the Cubs do often, and usually regret a few years later. $126 million is way too much for a posituon player. Werth's numbers will be on the downside in a few years, and the Nationals will still owe him over $90 million.
Bob K.| 12.6.10 @ 9:19AM
Any time you can get rid of a Boras client you are better off. They are usually, for the best part of their contracts, overpaid underachievers.
The Phillies were getting old and it showed against Texas. They can concentrate on picking up younger ballplayers and more of them with the money they saved. They may already have Werth's replacement in Brown.
Clint| 12.6.10 @ 10:55AM
From what we're hearin',The Phightin' may platoon Francisco & Brown and there's talk about players like Francoeur, Dye & Hairston.
Werth got $126 mil over 7
Derek Leaberry| 12.6.10 @ 9:57AM
Werth was a panic signing. He's certainly not worth $ 120 million over 7. Nats fans are a little tired of the niggardly ways of the Lerner Family and more than a little angry that Adam Dunn was allowed to walk, even after the face of the franchise, Ryan Zimmerman, let it be known that his own offensive resurgence was partly due to Dunn's batting behind him in the line-up. Dunn and Zimmerman are pals as well.
A very late bloomer, Werth is 31 with two very good years behind him in a loaded Phillies line-up that includes Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins. He'll likely not replicate that in Washington with the many holes in the Nats' line-up. Finally, what's the sense in signing a rightfielder(even if he plays a year or two in centerfield) when the Nats' first round selection from last year, Bryce Harper, is expected to be your starting rightfielder in three years? Yes, Werth could be switched to leftfield but then where is Josh Willingham to play? Trading Willingham in a year or two is almost fore-ordained.
Hank Archer| 12.6.10 @ 12:07PM
Baseball experts have studied this issue in depth - there is absolutely no evidence that the quality of the other batters around a player has any impact on his own performance.