As expected, Jayson Werth has signed with Scott Boras. I think Werth was already shaping up to be one of the most interesting free agent choices in some time, but this adds to the intrigue.
His 2010 season was being talked about like it was a disappointment for much of the early part of the season, but you look up and you realize that he leads the Phillies in OPS, out-slugging Ryan Howard. He has started more games and has had more plate appearances than anyone on the team. The guy everyone thinks will make Werth expendable -- Domonic Brown -- is apparently not ready for prime time yet, batting .214/.242/.375 in limited play. And then Werth goes and pulls the hero act with that blast yesterday, causing my Twitter feed to fill up with a bunch of #resignJaysonWerth hash tags from Phillies people.
At the same time, Werth is 31 years-old and the Phillies ridiculously overpaid for Howard recently, putting their financial flexibility into some doubt. Boras isn’t known for having clients who sign hometown discounts, and that’s even before you remember that Werth’s hometown is in the Midwest, not Philly.
Ultimately I think he fits best with Philly and they probably need him the most. But as the season has gone on, the likelihood of that happening has gotten lower and lower, I’d say.
