Considered a massive overpay at the time, Jayson Werth’s leadership and production proved the Nationals right
When Mike Rizzo signed Jayson Werth to a 7-year $126 million deal, it was both a statement of intent and a massive role of the dice. The deal made him the 12th highest paid player in the league, despite only one all star appearance. In my opinion, the risk paid off. Was he analytically worth his contract? Maybe not, but he set the tone for the Nationals and there were certainly some seasons where he was worth the money.
The Nationals had been star hunting in free agency for a while before Werth, but were never able to get their guy. Most notably, they got rejected by Mark Teixeira before he signed with the Yankees. However, they were not to be denied with Werth, paying him well over expected.
The contract got ridiculed in baseball circles. Mets GM Sandy Alderson even quipped that, “I thought they were trying to reduce the deficit in Washington”. The Nats were considered a laughing stock when Werth joined. They hadn’t had a winning season since coming to DC and were constant bottom dwellers in the National League.
Werth wasn’t going to let the losing culture that had defined the Nats continue. He quickly emerged as a team leader, with the World Series champion teaching the young guys how to win. However, that 2011 season wasn’t successful for Werth on the field. He had his worst season since 2005, and looked like a guy struggling with the pressure of the contract. Critics were quick to put out their hot takes, with pundits calling it one of the worst contracts of all time.
However, as the Nationals took the next step in 2012, Werth’s play improved. While he missed a lot of time with injury that season, he was very productive when he played. He hit .300 with an .827 OPS in 81 games. Werth also delivered his most iconic moment in that postseason. After a 13 pitch war, he hit a walkoff home run in game 4 of the NLDS, sending Nats park into a state of pandemonium never before seen at the stadium. That memory alone paid for a lot of that contract.
His next two seasons were his most productive in a Nationals uniform. Despite being 34 and 35 years old, Werth still put together amazing seasons. He finished top 20 in MVP voting both seasons. In 2013, he posted a career high .931 OPS with a .318 average and 25 homers. 2014 was another productive year for the veteran, with an .849 OPS, a .292 average and 37 doubles.
The last three years of the contract weren’t great, with Werth’s age starting to show. A misplayed flyball in the 2017 NLDS was a moment to forget, but it was not his fault that Dusty Baker probably played him too much.
Overall, the Jayson Werth experience in Washington was a highly successful one. Was it $126 million good? That is up for debate, but Werth’s status as a Nats great cannot be denied. He was a veteran presence that helped the team win and also gave them some very productive seasons.
The fact Mike Rizzo did not decide to go after a Jayson Werth type signing was disappointing to me. It was exactly what the Nationals needed. A veteran presence who still had plenty of great years in the tank. This team cannot afford to slip back into the losing culture they had before Werth. With another bad year this year, it could be too late.
While the Nationals may have “overpaid” for Werth, he gave them a ton of positive value. If you gave Mike Rizzo a chance to do things over again, he would sign Jayson Werth to that contract every day of the week and twice on Sunday.