Nats sign Werth

[Eminor3rd]

Werth is SO overrated.

[chw42]

I think Mike Rizzo has firmly cemented his position as most hated GM in all of the league.

 

Wonder if Philly tries to come hard at a Quentin deal now?

 

Oh I hope they do.

[sircaffey]

The Phils still have Ibanez, Victorino, and Brown. No room for Quentin.

[Jordan4life_2007]

The Phils still have Ibanez, Victorino, and Brown. No room for Quentin.

 

Yeah, they've been grooming Brown as Werth's potential replacement for a couple years now. The job is his unless he goes 2006 Brian Anderson on them.

[pktmotion]

...granted 62 AB's is not nearly an adequate sample size. but his .612 OPS last year isn't gonna cut it for a power position like RF and for a team trying to compete. Especially after their top FA signed with a team in their division. They're not paying Halladay/Oswalt $15 MM+/year to see the Braves win the NL East. It wouldn't surprise me if they looked for a power RF stopgap and kept Brown in AAA for a couple more years.

Edited December 6, 2010 by pktmotion

[SoxFan562004]

This might well be one of those "Detroit 2003" type cases where they're regularly mired in last place, and if they want a FA to actually go there, they need to over-do it.

i think this is exactly what it is. If Nats offer was comparable to Bos, Philly, or another "winning" team he would have gone there, they probably had to blow him out of the water with a deal.

[chw42]

The Phils still have Ibanez, Victorino, and Brown. No room for Quentin.

 

Ibanez is almost 40. I think they would like to give him a bit more rest. Maybe they'll go with a Ibanez/Brown/somebody else platoon for RF and LF.

[Reddy]

from Rotoworld:

 

"It's tied for the third biggest contract ever given to an outfielder, behind Manny Ramirez's $160 million pact with the Red Sox in 2000 and Alfonso Soriano's $136 million deal with the Cubs. It's identical to Vernon Wells' deal with the Blue Jays."

 

And how did 2/3 of those turn out? Ugh.

[sircaffey]

...granted 62 AB's is not nearly an adequate sample size. but his .612 OPS last year isn't gonna cut it for a power position like RF and for a team trying to compete. Especially after their top FA signed with a team in their division. They're not paying Halladay/Oswalt $15 MM+/year to see the Braves win the NL East. It wouldn't surprise me if they looked for a power RF stopgap and kept Brown in AAA for a couple more years.

Brown hit .346 in AAA last year. He's ready. Not to mention the Phils offense even with Timo Perez in RF is probably the best offense in the NL.

[Springfield Soxfan]

Werth is a great person who is very charitable in the Springfield, Illinois area so good for him. But man, how stupid are the Nationals, and what does Carl Crawford stand to make now. Good for Jason!!!

[Jordan4life_2007]

...granted 62 AB's is not nearly an adequate sample size. but his .612 OPS last year isn't gonna cut it for a power position like RF and for a team trying to compete. Especially after their top FA signed with a team in their division. They're not paying Halladay/Oswalt $15 MM+/year to see the Braves win the NL East. It wouldn't surprise me if they looked for a power RF stopgap and kept Brown in AAA for a couple more years.

 

lol

[Marty34]

Another thing to consider about this signing is that it may behoove the Sox to trade for another pitcher ASAP. Fairly certain that Boras will get Jackson a big contract somewhere else after next year.

[caulfield12]

i think this is exactly what it is. If Nats offer was comparable to Bos, Philly, or another "winning" team he would have gone there, they probably had to blow him out of the water with a deal.

 

It is also a bit reminiscent of the Royals throwing (for them) huge money at Gil Meche and Jose Guillen.

 

You have to overpay if you're not a competitive team, in order to get some credibility.

 

But my god, that contract is 4 years longer than almost any sane GM in the game would have given.

 

This contract, in some ways, might end up having more repercussions than the Hicks/A-Rod deal. To put it in perspective, that's more money on Werth than the franchise has spent in 20 years COMBINED on free agents. My jaw dropped when I saw those numbers for a borderline All-Star player, but certainly no superstar.

 

I actually think Ordonez's deal with the Tigers was much better than this one will end up.

[caulfield12]

Another thing to consider about this signing is that it may behoove the Sox to trade for another pitcher ASAP. Fairly certain that Boras will get Jackson a big contract somewhere else after next year.

 

 

On the other hand, you knew with all the movement in his early career, Jackson would like to stick around with one organization for 2-3 seasons if he feels really comfortable.

 

Otherwise, he will end up being another Miguel Batista, albeit with much more talent and stuff...just bouncing around from place to place.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Another thing to consider about this signing is that it may behoove the Sox to trade for another pitcher ASAP. Fairly certain that Boras will get Jackson a big contract somewhere else after next year.

 

Well....Naw, I ain't gonna touch this one.

[Balta1701]

Another thing to consider about this signing is that it may behoove the Sox to trade for another pitcher ASAP. Fairly certain that Boras will get Jackson a big contract somewhere else after next year.

Good, at least that would mean Jackson pitched well enough to earn a big contract and the Sox walk away with 2 picks.

[tonyho7476]

Some of these are funny...from MLB Traderumors.

 

Jayson Werth Signing Reactions

By Tim Dierkes [December 6 at 7:43am CST]

Yesterday Jayson Werth signed the third-largest contract ever for an outfielder, as the Nationals locked him up for seven years and $126MM. He and Vernon Wells figure to be bumped soon by Carl Crawford, though. Many thought Werth would get five years, a few thought six, but I didn't see anyone predicting seven. Reactions:

 

ESPN's Keith Law calls the contract "irresponsible" and takes on the "losing teams have to overpay" argument.

Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says this is "not the drastic overpay that it appears to be on the surface."

Yahoo's Jeff Passan says that from Scott Boras' point of view, "This deal wasn’t as much about need as it was capitalizing on eagerness."

Talking to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, Mets GM Sandy Alderson remarked, "It makes some of our contracts look pretty good. I thought they were trying to reduce the deficit in Washington."

One GM, upon hearing the length of Werth's contract, told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports it was "absolutely bat---- crazy." CBS Sports' Danny Knobler says one American League GM "nearly fell over when I told him the terms."

The Phillies' offer, which GM Ruben Amaro Jr. deemed "significant," was for three years and about $48MM according to CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki notes that a fourth-year vesting option would have increased the value to $60MM

[southsider2k5]

Thank God Dunn signed before Werth.

[ILMOU]

Thank God Dunn signed before Werth.

 

This.

[caulfield12]

The rate things are going, Cliff Lee will be the second $200 million contract.

 

 

"You know what would be REALLY cool, $1 billion!"

 

Just read that the Phillies' best possible offer was $60 milllion and 4 years, but the reported offer in the media was for "only" $48 million.

Edited December 6, 2010 by caulfield12

[RockRaines]

This contract will be an albatross by the of the the term like the other giant contracts OF have inked before him. Just a dumbass move by a dumbass franchise.

[ScottyDo]

The rate things are going, Cliff Lee will be the second $200 million contract.

 

 

"You know what would be REALLY cool, $1 billion!"

 

Just read that the Phillies' best possible offer was $60 milllion and 4 years, but the reported offer in the media was for "only" $48 million.

Another case of the Nats bidding against themselves? Rizzo sure is stupid.

[Balta1701]

Another case of the Nats bidding against themselves? Rizzo sure is stupid.

Lotta the other GM's are supposedly pissed about this. Sandy Alderson said something on the record along the lines of "I thought Washington was trying to get rid of the deficit".

 

That said...I said this earlier in the thread. When the 2003 Tigers wanted to start grabbing FA's to rebuild, they had to massively overpay because no one wanted to play there if they didn't. So, guys like IRoid and Ordonez got contracts that were vastly above what they would have gotten otherwise. Washington's in the same boat here. They've got a lot of talent on the way up, but no credibility with FA's, so if they want to add a veteran to their team, they have to overwhelm them.

[iamshack]

Lotta the other GM's are supposedly pissed about this. Sandy Alderson said something on the record along the lines of "I thought Washington was trying to get rid of the deficit".

 

That said...I said this earlier in the thread. When the 2003 Tigers wanted to start grabbing FA's to rebuild, they had to massively overpay because no one wanted to play there if they didn't. So, guys like IRoid and Ordonez got contracts that were vastly above what they would have gotten otherwise. Washington's in the same boat here. They've got a lot of talent on the way up, but no credibility with FA's, so if they want to add a veteran to their team, they have to overwhelm them.

I think that is a very valid point, although I think this is also a case of them misjudging the market.

 

Supposedly Adrian Beltre has just been flat-out ignoring Oakland's offers, and I am sure PK is doing the same with Baltimore's offer.

 

However, Boras did not even give other teams the chance to match Washington's offer because it so far blew away anything else out there. My guess is something in the range of $6/100 that Carlos Lee got may have sufficed.

[caulfield12]

Remember when Juan Gonzalez turned down an 8 year, $143 million extension with the Tigers because of the dimensions at Comerica?

 

That was back when that kind of money actually meant something.

 

One of the worst decisions in baseball history.