Jayson Werth signs w/ Nationals for 7y/$126m

[PANatsFan]

Until he's 35 and he can't play anymore and we're all nagging at a massive contract that will still be 4-5 years left.

As others have said... LAC past history makes us terribly overspend on contracts and screw us in the end.

Rizzo needs to go.

Terrible move.

I'm pretty sure there's nothing they could have done to make you happy.

[Coladar]

Probably four months or so

Look let's just celebrate for once

I'm hardly naive enough to believe we all won't be dancing our asses off come opening day. But right now, that seven years is on my mind and some others way too much to do a happy dance. It's really bothersome to imagine nearly $20 mil in payroll tied up to a 37 and 38 year old OFer with this ownership. Likewise, from next April to Sept, everyone will call this move genius. I'm seeing the positives, but I also see one freaking big negative. $20 mil to a 37 and 38 year old OFer is... About as bad as the Jeter contract, honestly. At least the Yankees did theirs knowing it expires in three years, and Jeter can only get three years worse. Who knows how bad, or good, Werth will be in five years when he turns 37.

[tomterp]

Rizzo may be a mad genius, we need to wait and see.

Now there's a really good player for my kid to root for that's here for the long haul, and that means something to me. Extend Zim and Strasburg when you get the chance, and Ted Lerner will be the hero of DC.

Let's not get all gushy now.   

[natstime]

This means they are going to make another move, probably for Carlos Pena, because now all you have is espinosa and morgan that can hit from the left side of the plate.  They desperatly need a left hander to put in the middle of that lineup to mix things up.

[PC]

Why is everyone still discussing the Lerners?  Is no one willing to admit that Mike Rizzo might just be a bad GM?

Oh, I'm sure he is.  Not wanting Dunn under almost any circumstance and then doing this deal with Werth should be fireable offenses.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

What did Rizzo do wrong here? There's no cap, so if this is what he thought it would take to get Werth and keep him from going to another team, he did a good job. So far all he's done is make our team better and get 2 high draft picks for us. And there's PLENTY of offseason left to make more moves.

Because what's the point of upgrading OF and downgrading 1B?

If you admit there's no cap and they should be able to spend freely, they should have signed both.

If you adhere to the belief that they have to operate under a budget, then clearly Dunn gets you so much more bang for the buck.

Either way you look at it, it doesn't optimize the roster.

But who knows, maybe Rizzo will look like a mad genius when all is said and done.  Maybe Dunn will have a really steep decline soon.

[Coladar]

I'm pretty sure there's nothing they could have done to make you happy.

For me, personally, complaining for the same reasons as Linty? Werth for $21 mil a year, five years, club option for a sixth. I'd be dancing in the streets right now.

[shoeshineboy]

Werth has a great bat, really upgrades the outfield.

There's been talk that Willingham is available, would not surprise me at all to see Josh flipped for starting pitching or another need (2nd base, if Desmond also moved?).

Yeah, too much money, but at this point they've been paying too little all along, nice to see it flip the other way.

Yup. It is time to be agressive to see if they can haul in someone else while they have the attention of people thinking they may be serious. Flip some prospects or the Hammer and Desmond for an arm. Or better yet, sign Crawford while they're at it.

[PANatsFan]

This means they are going to make another move, probably for Carlos Pena, because now all you have is espinosa and morgan that can hit from the left side of the plate.  They desperatly need a left hander to put in the middle of that lineup to mix things up.

Pena + Werth > Dunn. Rizzo had it right. Morgan can kiss this team goodbye, I guess.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I'm pretty sure there's nothing they could have done to make you happy.

Don't put words in someone's mouth.  I'm pretty sure Linty (like me) just wanted them to re-sign Dunn.

But it's over now.

[Lintyfresh85]

I'm pretty sure there's nothing they could have done to make you happy.

Or, you could think with your head for a second and realize we significantly overpaid for an OF'er with a very small history, and we locked him up for a massive amount of money that spans long into his decline phase.

You're right, I'm not happy with this move, at all... and I will continue to nag about terrible stupid moves such as this.

Happy to have Werth, unhappy to have Rizzo who clearly doesn't understand how players age.

If they had re-upped Dunn and then added Werth to this deal, I'd be going nuts.

As is, we simply filled one whole with a player that's going to create an even bigger whole in the next four to five years.

[PANatsFan]

Don't put words in someone's mouth.  I'm pretty sure Linty (like me) just wanted them to re-sign Dunn.

But it's over now.

Touche, I'm sorry.

[natstime]

Pena + Werth > Dunn. Rizzo had it right. Morgan can kiss this team goodbye, I guess.

Sure, you could but left handed bernadina in center.  but then who leads off?

[PatsNats28]

LERNERS ARE NOT CHEAP

I officially resign from LAC.

On a related note, this is a crappy contract, but probably what we needed to sign him. 126/7... god. That will be an albatross by the end of the deal. At least we'll get recognition as an MLB team though.

[PC]

The seven years isn't the problem.  It's the 7 years to a 32-year old that makes no sense.

[shoeshineboy]

Pena + Werth > Dunn. Rizzo had it right. Morgan can kiss this team goodbye, I guess.

I hope Rizzo has soured on Morgan. Bernadina is left-handed bat. But they need another one. Now I'm greedy. If they are throwing money around, sign Crawford and trade for an arm.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

7/$126MM!?

My reverse sig jinx worked.

You've learned well.

[PatsNats28]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/a-jayson-werth-article-without-a-pun-in-the-headline/

Good analysis. If he only ends up being worth $118 mil, I won't be pissed.

[natstime]

The seven years isn't the problem.  It's the 7 years to a 32-year old that makes no sense.

He did miss a few years in the minors.  That is a couple less year of wear and tear on his body.

[ronnynat]

Because what's the point of upgrading OF and downgrading 1B?

If you admit there's no cap and they should be able to spend freely, they should have signed both.

If you adhere to the belief that they have to operate under a budget, then clearly Dunn gets you so much more bang for the buck.

Either way you look at it, it doesn't optimize the roster.

But who knows, maybe Rizzo will look like a mad genius when all is said and done.  Maybe Dunn will have a really steep decline soon.

We're still going to get a first baseman. Definitely. There's no way Rizzo would let us go into the season without a lefty in the middle of the order.

I think everyone's going to be happy about this offseason by the time it's over.

[shoeshineboy]

The seven years isn't the problem.  It's the 7 years to a 32-year old that makes no sense.

Yeah, if they were going to open the vault on a mega deal for a Boras client, I would have preferred Crawford.

[PatsNats28]

New Nats lineup:

1. Bernadina CF
2. Werth RF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Willingham LF
5. Morse 1B
6. Desmond SS
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Ramos C

That's pretty solid... or you could move Desmond/Espinosa to #2, Werth to #4, Willingham to #5, Morse to #6.

[MarquisDeSade]

Pena + Werth > Dunn. Rizzo had it right. Morgan can kiss this team goodbye, I guess.

No.  Just no.  Pena is a bum.  Sure he's a "Gold Glover" but so is Luis Castillo and I don't see ANYONE beating the Mets door down for him.  Werth, while one of the cooler MLB guys I've met, is going to come back to haunt us in two years (if not sooner).  It's great that they went out and overspent for a great player but this move is going to come back to bite us in the ass by year three.  Look at Cleveland with Travis Hafner (though he wasn't a free agent).

[PANatsFan]

1) Points for Potomac - there wasn't a darn word out there about this.

2) Points for Rizzo doubters, for now, like Linty


3) Points to Rizzo for his close relationship with Boras

[ronnynat]

New Nats lineup:

1. Bernadina CF
2. Werth RF
3. Zimmerman 3B
4. Willingham LF
5. Morse 1B
6. Desmond SS
7. Espinosa 2B
8. Ramos C

That's pretty solid... or you could move Desmond/Espinosa to #2, Werth to #4, Willingham to #5, Morse to #6.

Werth will probably bat 5th after we sign a first baseman.