Is Jayson really werth 7 years? Werth while signing?
There's got to be one that combines 'werth' and 'dunn,' right? "Are Nats Dunn Increasing Their Net Werth?" or something like that.
I am not sure what I think about signing Jayson Werth, or anyone not named Pujols or Halladay, for 7 years - seven - years. You know how long that is? Uber fan Evan Manuel, who has known only baseball heartache with our hometown Nats, will be in college when Werth will come off the books.
Most of all, I'm not sure I buy Mike Rizzo's line about this 'makes us look serious,' etc. especially in the wake of NOT giving Dunn a fourth year. Sure, he's a defensive upgrade, and he's a real corner outfielder and power hitter, a plus athlete who can run and steal bases and play center field, etc.
But Werth has never been the man, the center of an offense. Not only was Adam Dunn good at that, he also seem to enjoy it and was never bothered by the pressure of hitting in the four hole. Can Werth handle that responsibility? Bottom line for me: I'd rather have Dunn for four years than Werth for seven.
I am also not crazy about the Nationals courting Carlos Pena to replace Dunn. Pena was productive last year despite hitting below - yes, below - the Mendoza line, mainly due to lots of walks and timely homers. And he is a very good fielder.
However, Pena is no spring chicken (is there anything better than chicken in the spring? I guess not since there is no other seasonal poultry phrase), and I fear that his .196 batting average (.732 OPS, with a .325 on-base percentage) this past season is an indication that his skills are starting to decline.
1 comment:
I don't think it makes much sense. I would have rather seen them pay Dunn for four years. The Nats offense has been pretty good the last two seasons, so why over pay for more offense? I'd rather see them make a few value moves to buck up the offense and spend big/overpay to bring in a veteran ace pitcher.
That's my biggest issue with management - they keep thinking that somehow a staff of young pitchers is going to one day turn into a magical rotation. It hasn't worked yet and every year it's like musical chairs with the rotation. They need an anchor, especially since the young guns like Strasburg and Zimmerman haven't proven that they can be healthy for a full season.
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