In a very interesting turn of events, the Nationals have signed a franchise caliber player in outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven year deal worth 126 million dollars, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman.
In a very interesting turn of events, the Nationals have signed a franchise caliber player in outfielder Jayson Werth to a seven year deal worth 126 million dollars, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman.
Agreed. He is an outstanding player....but $126 million? That's over $15 million/season....and they got rid of Dunn? Wow!
The Nats are a horrible franchise. I live in DC...and pull for them when they aren't playing Philly. I'd like to see them land a couple of pitchers (1 starter and 1 bullpen) and maybe one more position player.
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It was only 31 years ago when the 1M barrier was broken....
Famous First Salary Levels
Famous First Salary Levels
In Chronological Order
[SIZE=-1]Date[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Salary[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Player[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Team[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Lg[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]03-05-1922[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$50,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Babe Ruth[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]New York[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]01-18-1947[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$100,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Hank Greenberg[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Pittsburgh[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]NL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]01-11-1977[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$500,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Mike Schmidt[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Philadelphia[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]NL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]11-19-1979[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$1,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Nolan Ryan[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Houston[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]NL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]02-07-1982[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$2,040,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]George Foster[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]New York[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]NL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]11-22-1989[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$3,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Kirby Puckett[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Minnesota[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]06-27-1990[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$4,700,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Jose Canseco[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Oakland[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]02-08-1991[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$5,380,250[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Roger Clemens[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Boston[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]03-02-1992[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$7,100,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Ryne Sandberg[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Chicago[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]NL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]01-31-1996[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$8,500,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Ken Griffey, Jr.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Seattle[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]11-19-1996[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$11,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Albert Belle[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Chicago[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]12-12-1997[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$12,500,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Pedro Martinez[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Boston[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]10-26-1998[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$13,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Mike Piazza[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]New York[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]NL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]12-12-1998[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$15,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Kevin Brown[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Los Angeles[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]NL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]10-20-2000[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$17,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Carlos Delgado[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Toronto[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]12-11-2000[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$20,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Manny Ramirez[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Boston[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]12-11-2000[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$21,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Alex Rodriguez[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Texas[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]AL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]$25,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]$27,000,000[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Date[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Salary[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Player[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Team[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]Lg[/SIZE] Famous First Baseball Salary Levels
$$
Jayson Werth's deal with Nationals reverberates through baseball world - Wasington Post.
By Cindy Boren
<!-- /byline --><!-- blogger thumbs -->The Nationals' signing of Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract is being met with wide-ranging reactions. Chief among them? Shock.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick points to Mike Rizzo's past experience with Werth as a key factor, but questions how well he'll do outside the Philadelphia Phillies' lineup and points out that the Nationals still need a first baseman.
Har, har. ESPN's Keith Law says the move smacks of panic.
Phil Sheridan, who's watched Werth over the years in Philadelphia, likes the deal -- for Werth and agent Scott Boras, not so much for the Phillies or the Nats.
Washington Post.
By Cindy Boren
<!-- /byline --><!-- blogger thumbs -->The Nationals' signing of Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract is being met with wide-ranging reactions. Chief among them? Shock.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick points to Mike Rizzo's past experience with Werth as a key factor, but questions how well he'll do outside the Philadelphia Phillies' lineup and points out that the Nationals still need a first baseman.
If you're the Washington Nationals and you're christening Major League Baseball's winter meetings with a contract that much of the industry views as extravagant -- if not mind-blowing -- it helps to have a certain comfort level as a base.
Still, the deal blew the minds of executives arriving for baseball's annual winter meetings, which begin today. More from Crasnick:One executive for a West Coast team had just picked up his room key when he happened upon a group of front office and media people shooting the breeze in the lobby.
"Did I hear right on the Jayson Werth contract, or was I hallucinating?" the executive said.
Sandy Alderson, general manager of the Mets, mocked the Nats, saying, "It makes some of our contracts look pretty good. That's a long time and a lot of money. I thought they were trying to reduce the deficit in Washington, D.C."Har, har. ESPN's Keith Law says the move smacks of panic.
Phil Sheridan, who's watched Werth over the years in Philadelphia, likes the deal -- for Werth and agent Scott Boras, not so much for the Phillies or the Nats.
[The Phillies] lose a really good player and key contributor to their superb three-year run as the class of the National League. But it is worse for the Nationals, a dead-on-arrival franchise that is gambling Hall-of-Famer money on a guy who may very well be a product of his place in the Phillies' powerful lineup.
You realized the depths of the Nationals' delusion when general manager Mike Rizzo described Werth as "a centerpiece of our ball club" in announcing the deal.
Granted the Nats overpaid, but how are you feeling about the deal? If you're going to give a guy a contract that's too fat and too long, is this the right guy?Washington Post.
Adam Dunn Vs Jayson Werth.
Being as generous as possible to Werth and look at his last three seasons; those are the only three times in his career that he's received more than 400 plate appearances.
From 2008-2010, Werth hit .279/.376/.513 with 87 HR, 251 RBI, and an OPS+ of .132. Over the same period of time, Dunn hit .255/.380/.526, with 116 HR, 308 RBI, and OPS+ of .138.
So what are the Nationals getting in return for the extra three years and $70 million that they're not getting from Dunn?
Being as generous as possible to Werth and look at his last three seasons; those are the only three times in his career that he's received more than 400 plate appearances.
From 2008-2010, Werth hit .279/.376/.513 with 87 HR, 251 RBI, and an OPS+ of .132. Over the same period of time, Dunn hit .255/.380/.526, with 116 HR, 308 RBI, and OPS+ of .138.
So what are the Nationals getting in return for the extra three years and $70 million that they're not getting from Dunn?
Having to overpay some to get in decent players is one thing , but to go this far overboard , OUCH !
To let Dunn walk and then overpay for a guy like Werth , who's production short and long term is quite questionable is just very poor decision by the front office. I think most would agree this deal is quite a bit more then Werth was going to get from anyone else , and he just is not that "lock" stats kind of player to be worth it.
To let Dunn walk and then overpay for a guy like Werth , who's production short and long term is quite questionable is just very poor decision by the front office. I think most would agree this deal is quite a bit more then Werth was going to get from anyone else , and he just is not that "lock" stats kind of player to be worth it.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2...hat-philly-fans-overrun-nationals-park-again/
Jayson Werth just ensured that Philly fans overrun Nationals Park again
Craig Calcaterra
Dec 16, 2010, 1:59 PM EST
Remember last year how Phillies fans came down to Washington en masse for a couple of series against the Nationals? About how no one in Washington except the accountants were happy with it? About how it was a symbol of just how bad Nationals baseball was that fans from an opposing team would travel and take over the Nationals’ very own ballpark? Well, Jayson Werth went on a radio show today and assured Nats fans that that won’t happen again:
By the way: that first series is April 12th through the 14th. Get your credit cards and bus tickets ready, Philly fans
Jayson Werth just ensured that Philly fans overrun Nationals Park again
Craig Calcaterra
Dec 16, 2010, 1:59 PM EST
Remember last year how Phillies fans came down to Washington en masse for a couple of series against the Nationals? About how no one in Washington except the accountants were happy with it? About how it was a symbol of just how bad Nationals baseball was that fans from an opposing team would travel and take over the Nationals’ very own ballpark? Well, Jayson Werth went on a radio show today and assured Nats fans that that won’t happen again:
“That’s gonna change quick. I think you guys are gonna see. The owners are on board, and Mike Rizzo’s done a good job. The reason those people come over here is they don’t have a chance to watch their team in Philadelphia. And as soon as we start filling the seats here with Nats fans, those people are gonna go away and we’re gonna regain home-field advantage. And I’m looking forward to that day, for sure.”
That’s admirable. And I really do hope that Werth helps instill a fresh new attitude about the Nationals in their hometown. But if he thinks that’s going to do anything apart from inspiring Philly fans to try even harder to buy out the seats to the first Nats-Phillies series in Washington next season he’s crazy. If anything, tickets in CBP will be even harder to come by then they were last season, what with Cliff Lee and all. And with Werth drawing this line in the sand, you just know that there are thousands of Philly fans who will be eager to cross it.
By the way: that first series is April 12th through the 14th. Get your credit cards and bus tickets ready, Philly fans
