WaPo's Reid: Werth signing could be a disaster for Nats franchise

[houston-nat]

Werth was well....worthless the first half. Probably cost us more than six wins.

Hrm? Werth is sitting at 0.3 WAR, not -6.

I agree with Linty about backloading the contract: will it leave less cap space for big extensions or more free agents? Wouldn't it have made sense to pay him a ton of cash this year while they had open payroll space?

The fact that Greinke was also offered a nine-figure contract (Goessling) at least implies to me that the Nationals won't be stinting on payroll in the future.

[MarquisDeSade]

Can we please ban the term "Cap" from any and all baseball discussions?

Serious question - if budget isn't an issue why do we have a dream foundation having trouble raising $5m?

[Evolution33]

Hrm? Werth is sitting at 0.3 WAR, not -6.

I agree with Linty about backloading the contract: will it leave less cap space for big extensions or more free agents? Wouldn't it have made sense to pay him a ton of cash this year while they had open payroll space?

The fact that Greinke was also offered a nine-figure contract (Goessling) at least implies to me that the Nationals won't be stinting on payroll in the future.

Don't forget that $22 million in 7 years is probably going to be worth a lot less than $18 million would have been this year.

[GNatsNoMore]

What a craptastic article - to speculate that the Werth contract will prevent the Lerners from spending in the future WITHOUT contacting the Lerners is atrocious. If he wants to say that and grow up to be a real journalist, he has to get the quote and substantiate the story.

This.  I think it's time to start a thread entitled "Things I'd Rather Do Than Read a Jason Reid Article about the Nats".

[OldChelsea]

What a craptastic article - to speculate that the Werth contract will prevent the Lerners from spending in the future WITHOUT contacting the Lerners is atrocious. If he wants to say that and grow up to be a real journalist, he has to get the quote and substantiate the story.

...probably assuming that it'll be just like the Caps overpaying Jaromir Jagr a decade ago - which of course does not have to be the outcome with Werth.

[HalfSmokes]

This.  I think it's time to start a thread entitled "Things I'd Rather Do Than Read a Jason Reid Article about the Nats".

yep, it's not different than us mindfacting- can he at least pretend to be a journalist?

[Lintyfresh85]

Does this thread get revisited if the Nats sit on their hands this offseason and don't sign anyone to a big contract?

[MarquisDeSade]

Didn't Blue address this earlier this week?  I could be mindfacting here but I think what he said was if they don't make moves this offseason it was planned ahead of time.

[Kevrock]

I do agree with this part of the article, though.

I don't. It doesn't even make sense. Jeter and Pujols are paid in part to be a veteran presence but no other player in all of MLB is?

[HalfSmokes]

I don't. It doesn't even make sense. Jeter and Pujols are paid in part to be a veteran presence but no other player in all of MLB is?

Werth isn't either of them, but makes more than both

[MarquisDeSade]

You left off Matt Stares and Pudge as well...

[hammondsnats]

Does this thread get revisited if the Nats sit on their hands this offseason and don't sign anyone to a big contract?

we'll hear the same old jargon the LANC always spits out, for some reason defending old lerner.

i hope it doesn't happen and we continue to go after marquee FAs.

[shoeshineboy]

if that's the case ted lerner should sell the team now. 

Considering it was their own stupid desire to make some PR points with the bad signing to begin with it is pretty pathetic. Here's the MO. Step one, don't spend any money. Step two, see how not spending any money impacts the ability to attract talent. Step three, try and make up for that by not spending any more money but allocating a huge chunk on one player you don't need with a bad contract. Step four, see contract not pan out. Step five, point to bad contract as reason why spending any money is bad. 

That said, Werth, unlike Desmond, has shown he can hit at the major league level and should ultimately come around and be productive. He was just never going to live up to the overpayment they gave him. I think they know that, so if this is ever pointed to by Lerner, they will have gone even further down the path of BS than they ever have before.

[Evolution33]

we'll hear the same old jargon the LANC always spits out, for some reason defending old lerner.

i hope it doesn't happen and we continue to go after marquee FAs.

I am fine with sticking with Morse at first. I wouldn't mind Prince Fielder but I would like the Nats to dump LaRoche and stick with Morse. The only big free agent I want the Nats to go after is CJ Wilson.

[MarquisDeSade]

Evo33 for the win.

[HalfSmokes]

I am fine with sticking with Morse at first. I wouldn't mind Prince Fielder but I would like the Nats to dump LaRoche and stick with Morse. The only big free agent I want the Nats to go after is CJ Wilson.

I'm pretty firmly in the LAC camp and I won't care if they pass on this offseason entirely. I'd like to see them make a run at prince, but there are good reasons for not doing so (i.e. morse and he's fat). As far as CJ goes, he scares me long term since he hasn't been a starter for long and I think he'll end up over paid

[blue911]

Considering it was their own stupid desire to make some PR points with the bad signing to begin with it is pretty pathetic. Here's the MO. Step one, don't spend any money. Step two, see how not spending any money impacts the ability to attract talent. Step three, try and make up for that by not spending any more money but allocating a huge chunk on one player you don't need with a bad contract. Step four, see contract not pan out. Step five, point to bad contract as reason why spending any money is bad. 

That said, Werth, unlike Desmond, has shown he can hit at the major league level and should ultimately come around and be productive. He was just never going to live up to the overpayment they gave him. I think they know that, so if this is ever pointed to by Lerner, they will have gone even further down the path of BS than they ever have before.

This was basically my point. You don't sign a guy to a mega contract, then use it as an excuse not to sign other players.

[Evolution33]

I'm pretty firmly in the LAC camp and I won't care if they pass on this offseason entirely. I'd like to see them make a run at prince, but there are good reasons for not doing so (i.e. morse and he's fat). As far as CJ goes, he scares me long term since he hasn't been a starter for long and I think he'll end up over paid

There is no doubt in my mind Wilson will be overpaid. He is kind of in a Gil Meche/Carlos Silva situation. I just don't care that much what players are paid and think a rotation of Strasburg, Wilson, Zimmermann, Lannan, PTBN wouldn't be too bad.

[Smithian]

What a dumb ass article.

[aspenbubba]

I cannot argue that point statistically with WAR or any other stat. I just seem to recall him not coming through on numerous occasions.

[houston-nat]

CJ Wilson, Edwin Jackson. Ehhh decent.

A LOT rides on how Chien-Ming Wang comes back from injury. If he's looking like the old Chien-Ming Wang, then we can spend on something else or sign a free agent and start trading starting pitching for something else.

[shoeshineboy]

I'm pretty firmly in the LAC camp and I won't care if they pass on this offseason entirely. I'd like to see them make a run at prince, but there are good reasons for not doing so (i.e. morse and he's fat). As far as CJ goes, he scares me long term since he hasn't been a starter for long and I think he'll end up over paid

Yeah, spending money isn't about spending a ton on one long-term deal for the top FA on the market. They still need to ink RZ for a Tulo-esque deal as well.

Jason Reid covered baseball in the past, so he is not a completely clueless tool like Mike Wise. But I don't think he is wired in enough to really have a column based on much. This comes off like the kind of outside speculation I'd expect to hear from the so called "sports reporters" on Redskins talk 980.

[HalfSmokes]

CJ Wilson, Edwin Jackson. Ehhh decent.

A LOT rides on how Chien-Ming Wang comes back from injury. If he's looking like the old Chien-Ming Wang, then we can spend on something else or sign a free agent and start trading starting pitching for something else.

 isn't he a free agent?

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/washington-nationals_01.html

[Tyler Durden]

I'd be fine with them not signing anyone major this offseason, too.  I'd like to see Morse start next season in LF with LaRoche at 1B so they can build LaRoche's trade value a bit.  Morse is bad defensively in the OF but they'll get by and it would only be temporary. 

If CC is a free agent and interested in leaving the Yanks, I'd throw big money at him.  Otherwise, it doesn't look like a very promising class this year.  Edwin Jackson and CJ Wilson could be decent signings but I think they'll likely be significantly overpaid. 

After next season, Upton, Bourn, and Greinke are all free agents.  I wouldn't mind a trade for Upton or Bourn this offseason as long as we get them at a discount due to their impending free agency. 

[Tyler Durden]

isn't he a free agent?

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/washington-nationals_01.html

Yeah I think he is.