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

[Potomac Cannons]

Good contract for a great player who doesn't field like he's wearing boxing gloves.  And yet...the live to find something else to nag about brigade immediately craps all over it.

I'm stunned I tell ya.  Stunned.

We just nabbed one of the top 3 FAs and are still aggressively pursuing more upgrades.  Everything should be viewed positively but of course it's not. 

This team could win the World F'n Series and Linty would nag about the following season during the GDT.  It's just pathetic.

[houston-nat]

Okay, I know I waived the curfew tonight, but Potomac, maybe you should get some sleep.

[Potomac Cannons]

True, though he was wrong about Dunn, so he's just flipping a coin so far.  Worse if Pena comes here.  I think he already thumped his chest in this thread, though of course he completely ignored all the taunting after Dunn signed with the Sox.

I guessed on Dunn, pointed out repeatedly that I had just as much chance to be right as the media hacks with their "sources," and came damn close until Kenny Williams made a spite signing as revenge for getting owned by Rizzo at the trade deadline. 

I pointed out repeatedly that the idiots who keep citing their "sources" haven't been right about a damn thing with Rizzo.  Certain clueless schmucks tried to counter that and have once again been proven completely wrong.

No one had Werth to the Nats.  They all had Pena to the Nats.  No one had Capps for Ramos.  They all had Dunn for Jackson.

Which ones have actually happened?  Exactly the point.

[houston-nat]

I guessed on Dunn, pointed out repeatedly that I had just as much chance to be right as the media hacks with their "sources," and came damn close until Kenny Williams made a spite signing as revenge for getting owned by Rizzo at the trade deadline.  

Usually I agree with you, but Mark Zuckerman over at Nats Insider has pretty convincing proof that we did not burn the Sox over Dunn. Evidently we asked for Beckham and only Beckham, they refused, and things moved on. I think Kenny Williams gave Dunn a silly amount of money, but he does help make the White Sox a legit playoff threat for the next couple years, especially with that rotation.

No one had Werth to the Nats.  They all had Pena to the Nats.  No one had Capps for Ramos.  They all had Dunn for Jackson.

I agree with you here. Mike Rizzo's next move can be guessed by deducing exactly what is least being talked about. This is exactly why I believed the Werth rumor when it first came out:

the fact that there has been TOTAL silence regarding the Nationals and Werth suggests to me that it might actually happen.

For this reason, I also believe we will get LaRoche rather than Pena.

[Kevrock]

No one had Werth to the Nats.  They all had Pena to the Nats.  No one had Capps for Ramos.  They all had Dunn for Jackson.

One blog had Werth to the Nats yesterday morning. Otherwise, I agree. It's almost comical how little leaks out of our front office. With other teams I follow it seems like everyone is playing an insider.

[shoeshineboy]

I agree with you here. Mike Rizzo's next move can be guessed by deducing exactly what is least being talked about. This is exactly why I believed the Werth rumor when it first came out:

For this reason, I also believe we will get LaRoche rather than Pena.

I don't know, it has pretty much been made clear for a while that they didn't value Dunn for a four year deal, and we knew that the ChiSox was at least one of the teams interested in trading for him, so that part of the saga had been telegraphed. Making a play for a Werth and Crawford was always something that the FO had hinted at, but it was viewed as unlikely unless they way overpaid. Well, they decided to bite the bullet when the money freed up. That part was the surprising part. Dunn be allowed to walk wasn't. Signing Pena is certainly still possible, especially with Boras involved. Although LaRoche as been talked about as well. And so is Pavano. So, if there is any combination of LaRoche/Pena and/or Pavano, it will be no surprise. That's why I am really hoping for another surprise.

I love the reader comments below Kilgore's piece on the prelimary Projected Lineup. I'm glad that the consensus is that more needs to be done to have a significant impact. The fact that Morgan and Pudge are still mentioned as regulars is a scary thought.

[blue911]

I can't nag about upgrading the outfield.

[The Chief]

I guessed on Dunn, pointed out repeatedly that I had just as much chance to be right as the media hacks with their "sources," and came damn close until Kenny Williams made a spite signing as revenge for getting owned by Rizzo at the trade deadline.

You're a riot dude.  Yes, Kenny Williams made a spite signing just to prove you wrong.  Seriously, get over yourself. 

I pointed out repeatedly that the idiots who keep citing their "sources" haven't been right about a damn thing with Rizzo.  Certain clueless schmucks tried to counter that and have once again been proven completely wrong.

Except for the fact that, y'know, Dunn didn't resign.  And that everyone said he wouldn't.

No one had Werth to the Nats.  They all had Pena to the Nats.  No one had Capps for Ramos.  They all had Dunn for Jackson.

There's still time for Pena, and you're still flipping coins.  Again, get over it.

Which ones have actually happened?  Exactly the point.

[The Chief]

And Chief, I know you think that all internet boards are like this, but I'm a pretty active member of a couple other, unrelated communities, and nowhere is the spite and vitriol so pronounced.  The signal to noise ratio here is whack.

I'm a member of several boards that are much worse.  As Nathan pointed out, there is a level of respect between most posters here that doesn't exist on a lot of other internet boards.  Apparently Knorr is familiar with a few war zones as well.  Are 2 anecdotes more convincing than 1?  It's a sports board.  There are going to be a lot of heated opinions.  If everyone agreed we wouldn't have much to talk about.

[2IPAs]

Still having a hard time wrapping my mind around Werth becoming a Nat. 

[Sharp]

Still having a hard time wrapping my mind around Werth becoming a Nat.  

I'm sort of instinctively primed to hate him as a Phillie.  It will be weird rooting for him when he's in a Nats uniform.  But good.

[wpa2629]

I hate everyone, I'm an equal opportunity disdainer

Less confusion that way

[Lintyfresh85]

This team could win the World F'n Series and Linty would nag about the following season during the GDT.  It's just pathetic.

You are so full of crap.

Hell, you won't even address topics where people prove you wrong... which happens every single day.

Maybe if someone I actually respected shared your views I'd care... but right now? I don't give a damn what you have to say.

[Kevrock]

I'm sort of instinctively primed to hate him as a Phillie.  It will be weird rooting for him when he's in a Nats uniform.  But good.

Not me. I do dislike some of the Phillies, but they have some players that were really hard to dislike: Werth, Oswalt, Halladay.

Now Phillies fans, on the other hand...

[Kevrock]

Is there anywhere you can see a spray chart of where Werth hit his home runs?

Are we figuring that Werth will be in RF? I know he can play every position out there. Does Bernadina have better range than Werth?

[tomterp]

Maybe if someone I actually respected shared your views I'd care... but right now? I don't give a damn what you have to say.

There is an "ignore" button you are welcome to employ.

[Sharp]

There is an "ignore" button you are welcome to employ.

The "ignore" button always struck me as the easy way out.  I don't think I'd ever use it except for someone who was literally spamming.  On a board with good moderation like this one it should hardly ever be necessary.

[natsfan4evr]

Werth has the 4th highest slugging percentage in one particular ballpark (.580)
It will be interesting to see if this is due to our pitching staff, of if he really loves playing at Nats Park.

Zimm will be sad for a while that we lost Dunn, but I expect him to be full speed ahead now that they have shocked the baseball world.

BTW: The sweetest thing is hearing about all the FO being POed with the Nats. Money does talk, so I hope the Nats are willing to back the truck up for Cliff Lee (one can hope, can't he?)


I was never on the LAC bandwagon, but I was pretty ticked about losing Dunn. This signing though was not just bad luck. The Nats must have known they had a ridiculous offer on the table. This should shut up those that said they made the highest offer to Tex because they knew he wouldn't accept it, just so they could win over the fan base.

[tomterp]

The "ignore" button always struck me as the easy way out.  I don't think I'd ever use it except for someone who was literally spamming.  On a board with good moderation like this one it should hardly ever be necessary.

It is getting a bit annoying with P-Can and Linty trading insults and obsenities in every other post.  Stop polluting the board with your petty feuds, is what I'm thinking.

[Sharp]

Even Rizzo admitted it was a bad deal that they had to make because they were a losing club.

"I think anyone is a little uncomfortable with giving anyone a seven-year deal," Rizzo said during his late-afternoon press conference announcing the signing. "But we're in a position ... at this place and this time that we have to do a little bit more than the 'championship-caliber, win-today' teams. I think that it's kind of a two-fold process. Sometimes you have to give the years to get the player."

[tomterp]

Keith Law has another scorcher for the Nats this morning, can any insiders share a few tidbits to rile us up some more?

[Sharp]

Frankly I don't know or care what Keith Law thinks (or anyone at ESPN really).  He's a blowhard who rarely has any useful insights.  All of us here know that the deal is going to become ridiculously atrocious at some point, be it three years out, four, five, etc.  All of us also know how successful the Nats have been in the past at signing premium free agents to "reasonable" contracts (not at all).  I will take the Lerners overspending to make this club competitive in the short term any day over them not spending at all and sticking to "safe" contracts that can't hurt or help the franchise much.  That's not to say I want to go full-on D'backs or Yankees and buy a championship, because I don't think that's a sustainable strategy.  But a few key moves like this to show free agents we're serious, as well (most importantly) of the continuing development of the farm system and installation of core members at key positions, could help make this franchise successful in the long term.

[natsfan4evr]

I knew Werth was underrated, but this is interesting from Eric Karabell

Werth finished as fantasy's No. 20 hitter on the 2010 Player Rater, and he finished 23rd the year before. He has averaged 29 home runs and 18 stolen bases the past three seasons; for perspective, consider that Carlos Gonzalez and David Wright were the only big leaguers to reach both of those numbers in 2010, with Matt Kemp and Arizona's Chris Young just missing.

http://insider.espn.go.com/sports/fantasy/blog?name=karabell_eric_baseball&id=5889962&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fsports%2ffantasy%2fblog%3fname%3dkarabell_eric_baseball%26id%3d5889962

[Sharp]

He's not hitting inside CBP half the time anymore this year, so I'd take those power numbers with a grain of salt.

[Terpfan76]

I think the Rizzo quote above is pretty much how I feel about the situation. I don't like the length or amount of the contract, but it was going to take more $$ and years for us to sign top shelf free agents. Now does this acquisition possibly make the Nats a little more attractive to players like Lee who may now be weighing their options?