Werth: 'I signed here to win'
Jayson Werth is staying in the National League East, but in a surprise move, has agreed to a 7-year deal with the Washington Nationals.
Werth: 'I signed here to win'
DAILY NEWS STAFF
UPDATED: Werth did a conference call with reporters a little while ago.
The main thing Werth stressed in most of his answers was the confidence he has in the Nationals organization that they are committed to building a winning team.
"They gave me assurance that they're going to go out and get the type of talent that we're going to need to be competitive and to win," Werth said. "That was one thing that's very important to me: Winning. I went to Philadelphia in 07, I signed as a free agent because I said we're going to win. I wanted to go somewhere where we were going to win. I went to Philadelphia and we won. I signed here in Washington with the same aspirations. I signed here to win, and I believe we're going to win. It's going to be a challenge. It's going to take some time, but that was one thing the Lerner family and the organization was willing to give me: time to win and to help this thing along. I'm looking forward to to the task. I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's something I'm passionate about. I love the game of baseball. I come from a baseball family, and I think I'm in the place that is very suited for me."
Asked what he needed to do to justify the contract to the fans, Werth said, "I've never been anybody but who I am. I'm going to be myself day in and day out. Every day I'm going to play hard, I'm going to play the game the right way. I'm going to do the things in the clubhouse and off the field that maybe are overlooked in this game but more often than not create a winning atmosphere. I'm on board with the organizational goals and where I see this organization going in the upcoming years. To answer your question, I don't have to prove anything to anybody but myself and my teammates."
EARLIER:
Jayson Werth is staying in the National League East, surprisingly with the Washington Nationals.
Werth agreed to a 7-year, $126 million contract today, according to multiple reports. The Nationals are holding the press conference at 5 p.m. in Orlando, where the winter meetings begin tomorrow.
Yahoo! Sports was the first to report the contract terms.
The other blow to the Phillies by Werth signing with the Nationals is they will not get a first-round pick. Despite Werth being a Type A free agent, the top 15 picks are protected. The Nationals have the sixth pick. The Phillies will get a second-round pick and a compensatory pick.
The Nationals and Werth’s agent, Scott Boras, had a brief press conference in Orlando. Werth did not attend. The Nationals said they will have further details about when Werth would be formally introduced in Washington.
Here are some of the comments:
Nationals senior VP and GM Mike Rizzo: It’s a big day for the Washington Nationals. We’re very proud to announce signing Jayson Werth to a contract with the Washington Nationals. He will be the centerpiece of our ballclub on the field and in the clubhouse. It kind of exemplifies Phase 2 of the Washington Nationals process. Phase 1 was the scouting and player development and farm system type program. We feel we are well underway. Now is the time to go to the second phase and really compete for division titles and championships. We feel with a player of Jayson Werth’s ilk, a two-way player, a guy who excels offensively and defensively and baserunning and exhibits five tools... that is the type of player we’re looking for. We’re just pleased and so proud that the Lerner family has allowed me the resources to go out and to get Jayson. We think he is going to be a big piece of the puzzle. We certainly have more holes to fill, we have more work to do, and we are certainly aggressively going forward from here and beyond.
Boras: Ted Lerner and Mark Lerner came out to visit Jayson in our offices in California and spent the day with him and really mapped out what they expected from Jayson Werth as far as he takes a new step in his career. And the dynamic was to certainly be involved with the raising of young players in the organization, and certainly from our pursuit, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg being new additions to the franchise for Jayson, his experience in Philadelphia and learning from many great players there and advancing his career, that he would certainly come into the locker room, display a winning attitude and provide the Nationals with something that he learned in his major league career. For Jayson, this was a decision where he certainly wanted to know that this was a place that not only was going to take every step possible to sign young players and draft players that they have exhibited, but also take steps to develop a core system in the minor leagues, and also take further steps in advancing the free-agent process that he would be surrounded by quality major leagues players in addition to those already present in the Nationals organization.
Rizzo on the relationship between Werth and Nationals manager Jim Riggelman: … It played a great role in the signing of Jayson. We got the inside scoop on who the man is and who the person is, which always helps. Jim is a great judge of character and clubhouse presence. He was flowery in his praise for Jayson on and off the field. He feels like I feel, that Jayson’s best days haven’t been had yet. We feel this is a player who had a slower start as a major league player and is going to improve his skills in his future time in the big leagues.
Rizzo on where Werth will play: As of today, I think we have him penciled to hit in the middle of the lineup to play right field, but we’re certainly early in the offseason and things can change from there, but he has the skills and the skill set to play multiple positions in the outfield.
Rizzo on his background with Werth [He said he scouted Werth when Werth was a high school player in Springield, Ill.]: I’ve been a big fan of his lineage and his family... This is a guy we’ve known for a long time. I’ve had my eye on him for quite a long time and a lot of people accuse me of the day that he ended the game against Storin was the day he became on the radar, but he was on the radar way before that.
Rizzo said he played with Dick Schofield in the minors with the Angels.
Werth said via text message that he could not comment until his press conference with the Nationals, per the team's wishes.
Comments (206)
BTW, all of you posters who are calling him a "loser", give me a break. Let's see: WS ring? Check! Huuuuuuge contract? Check! How is he a loser? Why does stupid always have to go with angry?— mjc1- "I signed here to win." "I went to an all you can eat buffet to lose weight." The common thing between these two statements is that they're both ridiculous. Oh, and he signed here in '07 because no one else wanted him (another reason for Gillick to be in the HOF). But hey, good luck to him. I'd do exactly the same thing.— mjc1
- He know he went after the money nothing wrong with that, but they
won't be a 500 team a bunch of loosers so get use to it Jason and
take a bath and get rid of that scruddy beard you are up there with
the Big wigs so start dressing like them and looking like them— douglasrdd - If I were a Nationals fan I would be angry my team just committed 123m to only player over 7 years. And of course it's all about the money. If someone offered you a job for 7 years and promised to pay you 123m, whould you take it? And Jayson has already won his ring, which is something very few major league plays ever accomplish— Kcrul147
Comment removed.- Couldn't win in Philadelphia, had to go to that dynasty in Washington to do that.
- Like hell you did, Werth. You signed with the Nationals because they offered you a boatload of cash.— sarnell
Some of you people just don't get it, when you got Halladay and were on the up side of the deal it was all good. Now that Werth has left you are mad. It's business and Werth treated it as such and wanted to get paid the max he could get. Just wish him well and move on. Don't be soar losers!— SKYMAN
@ LGbalsac, the Phils don't get the Nats Draft Pick, at #3 it is "Protected"... They will get an in-betweener after the first round is over...-
"I went to Philadelphia in 07, I signed as a free agent because I said we're going to win. I wanted to go somewhere where we were going to win." That's a load of dung... My recollection is the Phillies Saved his sorry career, and gave him an opportunity no one else was willing to give him. The fact that he did well with the opportunity speaks well of him. His lack of gratitude speaks volumes about his character - the lack of it...
- So the nationals are committing to winning by letting adam dunn go? what a freakin joke team.— flavious27
- Well remember when Thome came here in 03, I'm sure it looked the same way to everybody else except us. The Thome signing really helped pave the way. And also remember that the union made Thome come to Philly, he wanted to stay in Cleveland for way less. Maybe the same thing is going on here— BentLogic
- I hat off to J. Werth for getting all the money he can while he can! Keep up the good work beacuse to the owners baseball is a business first and every decision they make is a business decision for their bottomline. It is only the naive fans who see's baseball as "America's Past-time". It's past-time alright for the players to stick it to the owners.— aumu
- Without Jayson Werth and without what used to be easy wins versus the Nationals, the Phillies are no longer a 90 win team.— Freedom Fries
- Its great that these losers finally lose a player to free agency. Now he is on a team who he wants to win with. Its the Phils loss, just like they have lost in many other occasions during the season and not made it to a championship. Sorry fans now you have a loser left fielder!— MRD
Let's not forget that Werth helped our team win a championship, which is more than you can say for any of the other guys that have bolted Philly for big bucks in the last 25 years. I wouldn't boo him.- Great deal for Werth, only time will tell if it is a good deal for both sides. I wish Werth the best except against the Phillies. As much as I like Werth, there is always someone who comes along that is as good or better. The ball jumps off Francisco's bat but his fielding is suspect because he has not played regularly and Brown is a star waiting to happen. We saw glimpses of his game last year and I liked what I saw. It is great that Werth signed now as it puts pressure on the Owners and Front Office to fill the club needs with quality players and I did not say superstars but they will have to spend money to obtain quality players. The Heat is on Amaro, Jr now and he must do something quick to take the heat off. Coming home this week with a quality right-handed and left-handed reliever would bem excellent.— jpelle36
Wow! The Nats?— Hame of Famer- Hard to walk away from that much money. Can't see it working out the way the Nats want it to.— hawk18
Loser.— ej610- Tell me none of you freekin dopes would turn down another company offering you 10 times what you are making now. None of you are worth that kind of money, but you sure as s*** would take it and run laughing all the way to the bank. Congrats Jayson. Thanks for everything. We'll miss you.
— rjhpsu85 - Werth has every right to sign a max contract just like the Phils had every right to let him walk. Jayson certainly was an integral part of the WS squad, but there's just no way the Phils needed to fork over $18 mil a year for seven years to a 30-something player who has NEVER driven in 100 runs (in a stacked lineup) and was by far the WORST in the majors with RISP
- That's very interesting comments coming from Jayson. Exactly how much money does he think the Nats have to improve when he already taken a big chunk of it? He's already reduced their payroll flexibility...and with his age I doubt that any other good players coming up the system will have an immediate impact turing the franchise around while during Jayson's productive years. Even with Bryce Harper coming up, they'll maybe be .500 at best. While I'm not going to " player-hate " like most people here....I'm going to congratulate Jayson for getting the best deal he could. But..don't wee-wee in our faces and tell us it's raining. This was all about the money...pure and simple.— tony b
- congrats benedict werth...enjoy the nats who are werth-less to watch! jayson werth will now be exposed for the little above average player he is. cant blame the guy for getting the max deal he could good luck sucka and good riddance we will boo you and the nats outta CBP and still overtake nationals with phillies red when we go there this year— marknoll15
- Really !!!Did Jayson play hard ? did he play to win ? why can't some of you people be happy for him that he got his big payday? I enjoyed watching him play and I hope he many more years ahead of him, there is no loyality in sports there never was......— phillypepper
- Can anyone name one member of the expected 2011 Washingtion Nationals starting rotation? Hope J-Dub has his track shoes on in right field. Right fieders don't win World Championships, but as the Giants just proved pitching does.— Dull
Can't blame Werth. Most players never see the WS Werth's been there got the ring and now it was time to collect some dough. As much as I liked Werth as a player this actually may be a good thing for the Phils who can now inject some younger blood into the mix and keep the winning going forward. I wish him all the luck in the world except when he's playing the Phils.— uteowl- I guess he wanted to be the best player on a BAD TEAM. Wow, hope he enjoys the view from bottom of the division.— lostInPhilly
- Congrats to Jayson Werth, who batted .350-plus in two World Series while making $1.7 and $2.5 million. Glad he cashed in and glad the Phillies didn't break the bank to resign him. D.C. is a great town with a new ballpark and some good talent. Whether they will ever draw is another question. I will miss J-Dub and always appreciate what he did for the Phillies.— Ollie Brown
- Carlos Quentin— Marcus Hooke
- Stop with the loyalty stuff. Werth cashed in. Who can fault him, particularly since he already has a ring? He's a good player but nowhere near worth this contract. RAJ did the right thing letting him walk for that much and Jason's set for several lifetimes now. Now we can move on and sign some other players.— s
- Hey joeyc444..you forgot one more move Ruben made that was just as bad or worse than any of the moves you mentioned. Signing Danny Baez for two years, sucking up our money, negating any budget flexibility we might have for improving our bullpen...that oh, by the way he's taking a spot in!— tony b
For Jayson it has nothing to do with winning now. He's won already and now it's time to cash in. What's wrong with that? He benefited by having the Phillies take a chance on him and having one of the best lineups in all of baseball around him for the last four years. All I can say it well played Jayson, well played.— delcodanno- clobal - Anything's possible in baseball but I don't see the Nats winning the division any time soon (conferences are football by the way). They're years away in my opinion and now they've strapped themselves to a guy who's likely going to be on the downside of his career when a lot of that money is paid.— s
- relax everyone we knew werth was gone. it stinks hes gone but at least he didnt go to the mets or yankees. the phils would not have paid him that much. so whose going to replace him? D brown? Ben Francisco?— theeman1
- I live in northern Virginia, I'm stuck with the Nats and O's every day on TV. But I'm an avid Phillies fan. There is absolutely no reason to sign with the Nats other than money - they are YEARS away from contending for anything— eaglesclaw121
- Close enough for the Borgata to cash in some of his millions...— M60tanker
- Werth wanted to go to a bad team with no pressure and get paid. How can he get booed when the team loses 100 games and there are 15,000 people in the stands.— joeyc444
- There's loyalty for you!! Oh yeah I forgot the NAtionals would have given you a chance a few years when you were injured and not playing but Gillick signed them to the punch, right!! (sarcasm)!! I will personally boo him at every at bat!! Good luck scumbag!!!— sawgrass
- Everyone....don't be angry. If someone offered you YEARS and MONEY, something that Gonzales or even Derek Jeter didn't get, what would you do? ( Even Carl Crawford got to be saying " WTF!!!! " 'cause who's going to match that contract even though he's the better player. ) Most people would TAKE THE MONEY. So. come on. leave him alone! Us Philly fans all knew what the deal was when he got Boras as an agent...and he knew what he was getting into with the Nationals when he accepted the contract. If anyone's to blame..it's the Nationals for giving him that much money over that many years!!
And 5280 philly...Obama's not running the Nationals. Obviously the National's front office has been the beneficiary over the past years of the Bush tax cuts for the rich.
— tony b - They guy hit .150 with runners in scoring person. See ya later. The Phillies played it smart and now only have 4 overpaid players - Howard, Lidge, Utley and Blanton. Everyone else on the team is either paid what they are worth or underpaid. Good job Ruben not getting sucked into the lunacy. Platoon Francisco and Brown in right field at 20% of the Werth's price and get 80% of the ovearll production and the same production with runners in scoring position. Ruben has only made 3 poor decisions (1) Trading Lee for dinner scraps (2) Locking up Blanton for several years and (3) signing Howard through 2017 at $25 million per year when he is 38 and turns into David Ortiz.— joeyc444
think people on this board are underestimating the nats...if werth isn't a bust there, they could be a good team. as for the money, and to the guy who said he'd take 70 to play for a winning team..you're insane. think about how much money 56 million dollars is— MPatt24- of course it was a great move for werth...— jmg7738
- I can't believe they gave him 7 years!! It's almost laughable. But hey he got his money. Wow, to choose the Nats says it all.....just show me the money.— bossrjc
- Carl Crawford loves this. Imagine how much he will get.— wolfburn
- Funny how the Phils were the last team to integrate their roster back in the 50's and now with Werth leaving we have only one white player left as a starting position player. Ruben, you have accomplished your mission.— bigtbone
- Very disappointed... You'd think the chance to play for a potential dynasty such as the Phils would trump a couple million dollars. I mean, once you get beyond $100 million, do you even notice the extra $26? Really?— andygradel
- INSANE money. Thats just a stunning lengthy contract.— hipdaddy
- Sad to see some of the responses here. He delivered for the Phils many times when we needed him. He earned his salary here. He was a pleasure to watch. While the Nats seem crazy, more power to Jason. I for one will root for him as long as he isn't playing against the Phillies. I will NOT boo him. It is too classless.— Osler
All that money can't buy wins, J-Werth. Hope it's worth it.— Doctor D- BHam...great new for Dom Brown?? obviously you have not been reading recent Phils news. After going a lustrious 1-29 in Fall ball, he left his team in the Arizona League to go home. Mental exhaustion. That tells you everything you need to know about this guys make up. Can you say bust? overrated? They need to get rid of this dud before everyone in the League catches on (if they haven't already!)
- what was he thinking the nationals dont make me laugh good luck losing— eagles18
- wow, I expected more from him, very disapppointing, I undersatnd the phils has zero chance of signing him but i thought he go to the Angels, Boston or someone who had a chance to get him another ring, cash is king evidently in the Werth household!!— eagles2010
- Did Werth do the right thing?!?! How could taking $126 million be the wrong thing???? Nationals are crazy. He's not anywhere near being worth that amount. He's a 1 time all-star and on the wrong side of time. Cliff Lee on the other hand. He's worth it.— 517wildwood
- Great news for Dom Brown. Finally...past the drama and on to planning for 2011...get it going, Phils...— BHam
- Congratulations to Jayson and his family, and thank you for helping to turn the Phillies fortunes around. The World Series victory in 2008 was quite special to me and my family, who were still dealing with the grief of losing our mother. You will always have a special place in Phillies history, and we wish you well for the rest of your career, except when you play the Phillies. Thanks again, Jayson. You've been great.— andrewfrombrooklyn
- sounds like a lot of sour grapes on this board. do you blame him? he has a ring, now was his chance to get the $$ & he did. Obviously, most of you don't know how much pressure the player's union puts on their players to accept the best deal. Do you forget that's how we got Thome?? He wanted to go back to Cleveland for less $$, but was forced to take the Phil's offer which was better. Get over it!
- Wow...some of you folks have no clue...
give the nat's 1-2 years and they will be the dominant team in the conference. They have been stocking draft picks for a while. Now all they need are some nice signings such as werth.— clobal - Another example of taking the money and not realy caring whether your team is going to win or not. Phillies did the right thing letting him go. That is ridiculous money for that guy.— poniesnpoker
- Hey San Fran you loser....your freekin team could even keep it's fly ball hitting short stop.....your one season wonder wish they had a GM as good as Amaro!— PhiEagleII
- Hey he went to a team with no one to hit behind or in front of....they already lost Dunn right?....he obviously went for the dough...we'll see how he holds up with out the Phillies big bats to hit behind.....the good thing for the Phillies is they wont be seeing him in the Post Season so relax...this is a good thing.— PhiEagleII
- Won't miss his 147 strike outs OR his .139 BA w/ RISP and two outs.— F. Harry Stowe
I didn't see Werth in DC. Strange. I bet the guy has never even voted.— Sam Crow- Did the Nats even have any RISP last year?— s
- Well, now we know that the money is more important to Jason Werth than winning is. Enjoy last place, Jason.
— SteveS11 - Utley is thrilled about this and maybe we can get our chemistry back again?— leecee
- This is a crazy signing. Not so much because the Nationals aren't likely to be serious contenders for a world championship, but because the number of years and the total dollar amount reported. Werth is not worth that deal...end of story. He can be a nice extra piece, but this dollar amount puts him squarely as the central component of this offense. For a guy who was nearly last in MLB in batting average with RISP as well as with two out, he is not a player to build your offense around. Plus his age will be a major concern in the final three years of this contract. The National overpaid by a huge amount. I am so glad Amaro didn't consider making a similar offer.— MrPhillie
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- hahaha Nats... suckers! The only reason I'm sad is because my kids just bought me my first jersey for Father's Day and it was Werth's. Waste of $80.— Irish148
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- Anyhow, the money is the main motivator as it should be. This is the guy's livelihood and many of these athletes live from fat paycheck to fat paycheck. But as far as being in it to win, the idea is to sign with a team who will be good during the term of your contract, not one that WAS good in the 5 years preceding your contract. If Werth can step up, the Nats will be contenders and they retain their early first round pick which makes that even more likely.— jtj06
- I wouldn't have turned down that kinda money either. It's the Nats that screwed up bigtime, they will never be able to trade him either because that HUGE salary goes with him. I want to see his numbers and motivation when he's grinding it out for fourth place, he'll be out of baseball in 4 years tops..— TexasYankee
- That's a lot of money, congrats. P.S. Enjoy last place.— p-diddy
- foment3 - MLB has no rules against GM stupidity. Be happy with our front office situation when you see moves like this. Don't get me wrong: I like Werth. But not for that contract. And out of our lineup I suspect he's going to look a little less potent.— s
- Good for him! I certainly was fooled. I didn't think there was a chance in the world that Werth would get more than 4 yrs and $60 million. Maybe the Nats were fooled too?— jtj06
maxtel, I will not say the Nats won't have success. But it's not easy for a franchise to finally get it right when they've never gotten it right. All young players on a team won't do anything but break your heart. Werth is not really that young, either.— road515- Good for Werth. He won his ring (even Halladay doesn't have that) and now gets the contract he wants. The guy worked hard to get this contract and the Nats core is young and talented. I don't like seeing him go as he was fun to root for but I can't blame him and he took the money- most of us would too.— kwasi2323
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In 2001 the Phillies were 86-76 -
two games behind the Braves for the Division -
they were a good team the entire 00's -
The Nats have a Loooong way to go before they are even a .500 team.— phillydude - How does MLB stand on the sidelines and let teams make moves like this? Werth is not worth even half this much and why would a loser team and organization shell out money for a guy who either makes contact or strikes out. 50/50.— foment3
Best comment here by far: 5280philly
Are Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and President Obama now running the Nationals?!
— fgomarty- Wow, the Nats look like the the Orioles of 5-10 years ago. Clueless. Anyway, the Phis should know how to pitch him, right handers galore. Anyway, after he screamed at that kid and his father in the stands this year, I say, good riddance. We'll see what he hits against his old mates, he should have a good 70-80 at bats to prove the Phils were right to let him go.— bobcitydoc
- I'm a Phils fan, but the idea that the Nats will be perennial losers is off the mark. They are a very young team, but talented team. In 2-3 years they will make a a run at the division or wild card. They are taking the youth route and Rizzo is no Jim Bowden. Think Marlins with fans who will actually show up if they win.— maxtel1910
- Hope you enjoy playing in front of 7000 people. A lot of money for someone who has a terrible RISP avg.— joepir
- How good were the we in 2001, seven years before we won the World Series? A lot of things can change in seven years time, especially when you have some promising young talent the Nationals have. They may not be great now, but by the time Werth's contract is up, it is very possible that the Nats could be a championship contender. Thanks Jayson for your contributions over the last four years, and good luck in Washington.— psu031
- your werth every penny,have a great year jason.— mfgra
- Just tells you Werth was all about the money if he went to that looser team.— phillybruce
- The almighty dollar has spoken. Jayson did what anyone would do. Now the Nationals will always have a sellout when they play the Phillies in DC!— Joseph DeSantis
- Henry Howard--MLB got NO stimulus money. The Nats' new stadium was paid for with mostly public money long before the 2009 stimulus dough was created, just like most of the other newer stadiums, including CBP. That was the result of politicians from both parties raping the wallets of you and me. Stop getting your "facts" from Fox News.— Frank K
- Pack the stadium every flipping night Philadelphia, and even after trading Lee...You STILL have not learned your lesson!!! Good for you Jayson, You'll take the NATS far, while the Phils blew their $$$$ on a strike-out king, R. Howard....Go where you'll be appreciated and laugh all the way to the Bank!!!!!— dontbcheapphillies
- earl of surrey with the fringe on top, what delusion makes you think stimulus money is going to the Nats or any other team? The only money comes from other teams making bucks to the teams that aren't.— mike l
- For a $126 million how could it be the wrong decision. So what he will be on a losing team for the rest of his career. That is a lot of money.— zippy1346
- kenzojoe, Boras is a genius at finding dumb GM's who'll give tons of cash to mediocre players (JD Drew, anyone?). And making himself a pot of gold in the bargain. What's 15% of $126 mill? Geez, even the Yanks and Sox weren't going to give Werth that much. Good for his wallet, bad for his career. Now he can go 0-for-the-season with runners in scoring position and not have a care in the world.— mike l
WOW...can't blame the guy for taking the cash...he probably won't enjoy himself on the field from here on out though.
@ Tonka....uh, not to bust balls, but Hippocrates was an physician from ancient Greece. You know, the "oath" and all that. I think the word you were looking for is hypocrite.— Henry Howard Earl of Surrey- You are all nuts- calling him an average/slightly above average player. Werth did a great job while with the Phils and helped them win the WS and go to the NLCS all those years. Don't short change the guy now because he took the money and left. I can understand him taking a little less $ to stay in Philly, but the Phils weren't even close to offering him what he got. Maybe if they put up a better offer, he might have stayed. How can you blame the guy for taking the 50 mil more and 7 years. The Phils have peaked and unless they make some personnel changes, their glory days are behind them. Just look at Utley and Rollins and their declining stats.— suburbanAROD
- hahahahahahahaha great news for the Phils get rid of a mediocre outfielder and get a high draft pick, much better than if he went to Boston or Ny.— B-Rooster
- I like Werth but not for that contract. It will be interesting to see how much of a centerpiece he really is on the Nats. I agree with Brauny: Very doubtful he's with the Nats in 7 years. He got paid, which is where you knew this was going. I don't fault him at all for taking the money. It's his one big chance. Now the Phils can concentrate on replacing his right-handed bat and getting some bullpen help. He'll probably burn us in a game or two but RAJ was right to let him walk for that sort of contract.— s
- It didn't get front page coverage, but a provision of the Economic Stimulus package funded by taxpayers is that certain pro baseball teams were given money. The Wash. Nationals got 17.4 billion for the next 10 years to achieve partity with other clubs. This was part of the "redistributive" change the current political adm. wanted. Look for the Nationals to go spend their way to a pennant in the next year or two. That are flush with taxpayer cash and will buy the best they can.— Henry Howard Earl of Surrey
- It didn't get front page coverage, but a provision of the Economic Stimulus package funded by taxpayers is that certain pro baseball teams were given money. The Wash. Nationals got 17.4 billion for the next 10 years to achieve partity with other clubs. This was part of the "redistributive" change the current political adm. wanted. Look for the Nationals to go spend their way to a pennant in the next year or two. That are flush with taxpayer cash and will buy the best they can.— Henry Howard Earl of Surrey
- One more thought...he WILL play all seven seasons with the Nats. Nobody will take that salary in the next few years. Nobody knows it yet, but we are at (and we probably have just passed) the peak of players' salaries in MLB. There will be no more revenue in the future for 95% of all MLB franchises than there is now. Fans are at their limit. Advertisers are at their limit, all with only a few exceptions. Werth, Sabathia, Texeira, A-Rod and others will NEVER change teams as there are fewer and fewer teams now able to take on such bloated obligations. The Nats are on the road to Texas Rangers style economic failure. It is doubtful they can even fill that stadium if they were a perennial winner--and they are far, far from that delusionally remote possibility. Is there ONE sane person left--Democrat or Republican--in Washington DC?— Frank K
- Maybe Jayson will get another World Series ring in a few years like Aaron Rowand got this year after signing his long-term deal with the Giants. It's always about the money for as long as you can get it even if you can't play that long.....Greed is all it's about!— sonnybuoy01
- HAHAHAHAHAHA....the soon to be long suffering national's fans will have a poster boy to place the blame on.......i think he is done after about three years before injuries and age knock him out......GO PHILLIES!— malco49
- northcountry, you make no sense. You blame Marvin Miller and the Players Association for the players' lack of loyalty, then you say Werth did what was best for his family? So, if there were no free agency and players were not able to make the big bucks, being attached to one team for life or traded wherever that team wanted, you think that would be best for his family? Someone comes along and offers you millions to come work for them, are you going to stay at your job out of loyalty or do the best for your family? My guess is you'd be out the door in a New York minute, not even looking back. Werth took the money and ran, sayonara Philly! Strasberg won't pitch this season due to TJ surgery and Dunn's gone. Hope Jayson likes playing in an empty stadium, but at least he'll have a heavy wallet, more money than fans.— mike l
- He took the money. The rest of the spin is BS. You don't with Boras to become warm and fuzzy with the fanbase of any team. But, he did give the Phillies way more than they thought they'd get from him. He did a terrific job here. I'm still a fan of his. I haven't been offerred $126,000,000 to play a sport so I can't knock his decision. I just wish it were different. At least he can still beat up on the Mets, Braves and Marlins for us.— Ballgame
- In the end, it was all about the long-term deal and the money. To me the Phillies made a fair offer to a player of Werth's caliber and age. (Supposedly, it was a 3-year deal -- with an option for a 4th -- averaging about $16 million annually). The Nationals deal averages about $18 million per year.
If going to a contender was really what Werth wanted, he would have taken the Phils offer or one that probably would have been similar from the Angels, Red Sox or Tigers.
So, the Nationals can have him. And I'll be grateful that the Phillies at least made a legitimate offer to Werth.— AmyC822 - Comment removed.
- Congratulations Jason on your contract!! Best of luck in Washington with the Nats....until you play the Phils of course.....— downtheshore
- He doesn't hit breaking stuff real well. And he never did hit high heat fastballs real well. He spent at least a third of 2010 in a freakin' daze on the field so I don't think we'll miss him a lot. The best thing is that the Mets, Yankees, Bosox and Braves don't get him so I'm fine with all this--as long as CBP erupts in boos every time he returns in 2011 and beyond. Hopefully he'll soon start having nightmares about the thought of coming back here as a Nat. I'm also quite sure every other GM is laughing at the Nats for this joke of a signing.— Frank K
- As a grown, intelligent man, I don't know why I'm surprised. He could win and make a fortune, or make a little more for a loser. It's his right, but still disappoints. At least his agent got a huge commision...— jackb69
- Haha...I just read a comment here by a Nats fan..."Suck it Phillies". Sounds a lot like Donovan.— road515
- now if Conlin would only sign with the Post we'd be free of our losers— stoky
- WTF!! WHY????????????
Goes from the 4 time in a row division winner
to the last place Nationals??
Makes No sense what so ever -
I guess money meant more to Werth than winning -
I knew there was a reason he was never one of my favorite Phillies -
Good luck Jayson -
I hope all that money keeps you warm at night during the next 7 losing seasons you will have in Washington.— phillydude 
Nats make news but one wonders if this will bear fruit. Werth is a good player but not great. He was perhaps the 5th best player on the Phils, so to all who said the Phils should sign him, this is why they didn't.
No one is worth this kind of dough.- You can all thank Marvin Miller and the Players union for today;s lack of loyalty..........as a freedom & liberty loving American I say good for Jayson. Which one of us wouldn't do likewise for his family??— Northcountry
- He's got the ring, now he's got the money.... only problem is he wont hit as well in that huge park and loosing as many games as the Nats do wont be any fun... Mark it down -- he wont finish his 7 yrs with the Nats— Brauny
- I wanted to re-sign him, but he is nowhere near Werth that much money - that contract is gross. Clearly money was the most important thing to him, because it can't be winning or he wouldn't have signed with the Nationals.— kat20
- why would you boo him?...the nats made him an offer he couldnt refuse. Lets face it...Boras clients never sign quickly unless the offer is so far ahead of what anyone else is offering...I cant imagine he was getting offers anywhere close to that...and I dont blame him for taking it. It is what everyone would do.— TheLon
- Wow Why didn't the Nationals just resign Adam Dunn a 40 Home Run 100 Rbi Guy who signed for a lot less. Nice deal for Jayson but I am not sure if this is a good deal for Nationals.— btsucceed
- HAHAHAHA, LOOOOOOOSSSSEEEERRRR, Im glad hes gone, Dom Brown will be better than werth in 3 years, i guarantee it.— lakersn23
For a guy who often looked like he had NO IDEA where the strike zone was (and struck out A LOT), was infrequently clutch, I'm more than alright with the Phillies taking a pass on him. Also....there's NO WAY he's got seven years in him!- I wonder if the Phillies offer would have been close. Thank you Jayson for contributing to the greatest sustained period of success in team history. I will stand and applaud you at CPB. You EARNED the right to be a free agent and although Washington seems like a bizarre choice, it is your call.— tommazza
- lets get ready...BOOOOOOO!!!!!— bingo
- This just proves even more that this was never about winning it was always about the money. The Nationals are a team on the rise, but there's no telling what Strasburg's gonna look like or how long it will take to return to form after TJ surgery and behind him the pitching is average at best. They refused to resign Dunn to a new contract b/c he wanted a fourth year and they have a few good players, but this deal will handcuff the Nationals in a couple of years and make it difficult to compete for high priced free agents. Not to mention at that point, Werth will probably be on the decline. So I hope he enjoys that '08 ring because he will never see another one for the rest of his career while the Phillies will continue to be contenders. Enjoy the golf course in September Jayson.— knova05
- Good! He can join Eric Bruntlett. (oh wait, Buntlette couldn't MAKE THAT TEAM last season.) ... See ya Werth. The Phils will be beating your team 15 of 18 next year!— jman
- He may not even move out of Philly. He could probably commute everyday to DC. 126 million could buy you your own Acela charter train back and forth everyday.
- @Jimmychit>>>And when did anyone ever think it was about anything OTHER than money? That's all pro sports are about...MONEY. Basically 99.9% of professional athletes sign for the money and nothing else. Winning is nice but it is secondary and if you or I were in the same position we'd take the most money too. The difference between taken $70 million and $126 Million is significant...you or I or anyone posting on this board can easily say "what's the difference, you're still insanely rich" but the extra $56 Million (probably $22-$26 million after taxes and Boras' cut) is the difference between being able to continue the ultra-high lifestyle pro athletes live in the decades after they retire.— Eilex826
- He would have made more endorsement money on a winner than on the NATINALS! So where are all of the Amaro bashers. Jayson was OK but get real. Drive in some runs for that kind of money!— charladan
- I follow the Nats even though I'm a Phillies fan since they're in the same division, and I can't understand them at all. They refused to resign Adam Dunn, a 40 hr/120 rbi because he wanted a 4th year. He went to the White Sox for 4 yrs, 56 mil., and said that he wanted to stay with the Nats, and they wouldn't pick him up for the 4th year. He was productive, relatively cheap, and a pretty short term option. They replace him with Werth, who I liked, but c'mon, he won't get to 40/120 unless they extend the season to 200 games (maybe). Well, with that kind of management, at least we don't have to worry about the Nats or the Mets over the next few years. Go Phils!— mjc1
- Comment removed.
- Good for him, although I don't like the fact that he went to the Nationals. A few years ago the guy didn't even know if he was ever going to play again, but he came back and put himself in a great position to get the one and only contract of a lifetime. He already got his World Series win, now he gets to be set for life financially. Good job Jayson.— Realist123
- hey mindstorms...he could have taken a bit less and gone to a winner...either way its more then he can spend..think before you post next time...he just showed us that winning does not matter to him...teach you kids a lesson...dont follow pro sports...the players dont care about winning— ajpoker11
- So JW is a "loser". Yeah, and he's about $125.9 million richer than you, suckers. This just proves the genius of Scott Boras. Yes, a G-E-N-I-U-S. The man is in a class by himself.— KenzoJoe
- I hope Scott Boras returns my messages. That guy must have scandalous pictures of everyone in baseball.
- I just love some of the silly negative comments. It's a business people not a little league conference. This was the last time he will have to sign a big contract. He would be a fool to pass up this opportunity. I would have liked to see him back but it's his time to sign the big contract and that's the nature of this business.— mindstorms
- Haha. Go get 'em Jason!— phillysports10
Good for Jayson, but somehow, someway, someday, this will come back to haunt the Phillies.— dogman5- We love sending overrated talent to the DC market. It's worked out great for D-Mac.— BishopOfPhilly
- Ah vanity, hubris & cognitive dissonance: where'd the human race be without it? I'm sure Werth feels he deserves the payday & that he's up to the task of single-handedly reviving the franchise, but to go from a contender to the former Montreal Expos...that's gonna be an eye-opener for him. But to quote Phil (Yeah, like the groundhog Phil) from Groundhog's Day: "You make choices & you live with them"...— apdub
- Good for Jason. He deserves it. It's a business people, why is that so hard for people to understand?— fgdavis
Yay! Jayson Werth will never see higher than 3rd place. Good for mediocrity.- I'm a Nats fan and I'm thrilled. Did we overpay for this guy? Absolutely and by a lot. But when your team sucks and you want to start contending, you pay extra. Suck it Phillies. Enjoy that core of your lineup going lefty lefty lefty lefty...— JustAnOpinion
- Congrats Jayson! We would have busted out the torches and the pitchforks if Rube gave him that kind of money. Nice draft pick, team that isn't a threat to hurt us for a couple of years...we weren't resigning him for that kind of money this is actually the best possible outcome.
- wow....he CLEARLY was only in it for the money. Any sliver of integrity was read all wrong with him.— Capsulef
- Mike Rizzo makes Omar Minaya look like a genius! Where are the Nats getting all of this flogging money?— RyanHowardsUniverse
- No right fielder and the team gets screwed out of the Nat's 6th pick. That hurts.— Steve Jeltz
- I guess it's all about the money, its always been with Werth. I guess its not about winning, because he ain't winning with Nats.
- I'll miss seeing him play for the Phils. He's a clutch player who made an impact beyond his stats. Can't blame the Phils for not matching this deal, can't blame Werth for signing on to it either. Best of luck to him.— CatoTheElder
You guys are nuts. Nats WILL win the WS within the next 3 yrs. Their starting pitching will peak and bats will hit stride while the Phils fails. Remember, Phils have an old pitching staff and Rollins & Polanco will be gone and Howard & Utley will have peaked. Phils are good now (but they're old). Nats will be great in 3 years (and remember Werth has low milage on his wheels). $126M....I would have taken the same deal....- Clearly he was only concerned about the $$ and not winning. That's his decision, not sure I agree with it but this is his one payday...
Since the Phils offered arbitration they get picks -which will be pretty good now since Washington is so bad. - is there a franchise in DC that doesn't hate money? jeez— vilesmiles
- If I were a free agent and stood to make more $ than I would ever be able to spend, I'd try to sign with a team that has a good chance of winning. Rings are priceless. Werth is a poster boy for all that is bad about free agency in baseball.— brio
- Before you all get excited about the nationals draft pick you should know that their first round pick is protected so we will only get a second rounder and a compensatory pick— cje246
Best of wishes to you, Jayson! I would have signed the deal in a heartbeat. Whoever suggested that he sign for $70 million with the Phils instead of $120 million with the Nats, I would like to see you walk away from $50 million. Are you insane?- You could play for the Yankees. You could play for the Red Sox. You could play for virtually any playoff team. And you chose the Nationals? Strasburg is out for a year. Harper is still young. You won't make the playoffs for at least a year because the Braves are better...Ridiculous Werth.— phillyjhawk
- Comment removed.
- I love everyone who is calling him a loser & a sellout. I'm sure everyone of them would have signed that contract, too.— Zeus2754
Nats will be trading him next year before the deadline.— The Philly Shadow- I'm glad Amaro didn't give him a contract like this....— UncleEddie
- Werth apparently wanted money and stability, he's gonna get it now. That '08 ring must have been enough for him cause he'll be playing in a half empty park on a losing team for years to come.— UtleyPhan26
- Werth apparently wanted money and stability, he's gonna get it now. That '08 ring must have been enough for him cause he'll be playing in a half empty park on a losing team for years to come.— UtleyPhan26
- Werth apparently wanted money and stability, he's gonna get it now. That '08 ring must have been enough for him cause he'll be playing in a half empty park on a losing team for years to come.— UtleyPhan26
- Werth apparently wanted money and stability, he's gonna get it now. That '08 ring must have been enough for him cause he'll be playing in a half empty park on a losing team for years to come.— UtleyPhan26
- Werth apparently wanted money and stability, he's gonna get it now. That '08 ring must have been enough for him cause he'll be playing in a half empty park on a losing team for years to come.— UtleyPhan26
- Werth apparently wanted money and stability, he's gonna get it now. That '08 ring must have been enough for him cause he'll be playing in a half empty park on a losing team for years to come.— UtleyPhan26
- Werth apparently wanted money and stability, he's gonna get it now. That '08 ring must have been enough for him cause he'll be playing in a half empty park on a losing team for years to come.— UtleyPhan26
- Werth apparently wanted money and stability, he's gonna get it now. That '08 ring must have been enough for him cause he'll be playing in a half empty park on a losing team for years to come.— UtleyPhan26
- Haha, the Nationals? Have fun losing, sell out.
-not bob levy— remyy - Thank you Jayson for the great play and the class over the years. The way to get him to a non-contender was to throw money AND years at him. He's a human being, and he'd have to be an idiot NOT to take that deal - higher in $ and WAYYY higher in years than Phillies could have ever done. Good luck in DC, Jayson, I for one will cheer for you when you return. We've kept most of the band together, lets beef up the bullpen, get another rightie outfielder/bring Brown along, and lets go get 'em next year!— BasF
This deal makes the Nat's the preseason pick to win the NL East in 2011.