The 31-year-old took a big part in helping the Phillies win the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays. Werth has spent four season with Philly and he batted .296 with 46 doubles, 27 home-runs, and 85 RBI's.
"It kind of exemplifies phase two of the Washington Nationals' process," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "Phase one was scouting and player development, building the farm system. ... Now it's the time to go to the second phase and really compete for division titles and championships."
The Nationals are becoming a huge rebuilding squad, already having two other young studs in pitching-phenom Stephen Strasburg and young phenom Bryce Harper.
The Nationals haven't had a winning season since 2003 when they were the Montreal Expos. With Adam Dunn leaving for a four-year, $65 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, the Nats needed some player like Werth. And now they got him.
New York Mets' manager Sandy Alderson thinks Werth gets the better end of the deal.
"It makes some of our contracts look pretty good," Alderson said. "That's a long time and a lot of money. I thought they were trying to reduce the deficit in Washington."
Agent Scott Boras likes the deal, too.
"For Jayson this was a decision where he certainly wanted to know that this was a place that was not only going to take every step possible to sign young players in the draft, as they've exhibited, but also take steps a core system in the minor leagues and also take further steps and advance in the free-agent process so that he could be surrounded by quality major leaguers in addition to those already present in the Nationals organization," Boras said.
Rizzo didn't know if Werth would be officially signed or not until the announcement was made that the finalization was complete.
"We got the inside scoop on who the man is and who the person is," Rizzo said. "Jim is a great judge of character and clubhouse presence. He was very flowery in his praise in Jayson on and off the field. He feels, like I feel, Jayson's best days haven't been had yet."
Rizzo has been watching Werth play since he was in high school.
"I've been a fan of his lineage and his family," Rizzo said.
I think this a great deal by Werth. He gets a good amount of money for a good term as he will be with a team that could be on the top very shortly.
By Josh Dhani
