For some time now, the general consensus has been that Jayson Werth would be moving on in 2011 as the Phillies are not willing to dole out the money and years necessary to retain him. On Wednesday, a Phillies source told ESPN's Jayson Stark that there was "no chance" of the right fielder remaining in Philadelphia.
GM Ruben Amaro now says that he needs an answer from the 31-year-old quickly, a request that seems unlikely to be fulfilled by a Scott Boras client. Amaro wouldn't confirm or deny that the club has made Werth an offer but SI's Jon Heyman (via Twitter) hears that they are making a big push to keep him aboard.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Phillies' push to re-sign Werth is nothing more than a public relations move. The club, he says, wants to be able to say that they made the slugger a big offer and tried their best to hang on to him. Is the "big push" to keep the right-handed bopper nothing more than a PR ploy? We want to know your take on the situation.
Are the Phillies really intent on keeping Werth?
If they did re-sign him, you almost have to think that Domonic Brown would be dangled for someone like Zack Greinke…But I think it’s best to let Werth go…
Makes zero sense whatsoever
Yeah, not to mention if they resigned Werth they would have no room for Grienke’s 13.5M salary.
Their opening day pay roll for 2011 is already higher than 2010 and we have yet to go through arbitration. Add Werth and a a little extra and their opening day pay roll starts to hit $165M. I’m just having trouble seeing them make that kind of commitment.
I think it’s somewhere in the middle. The Phillies definitely want Werth back, and they are a team that can add payroll to sign him, but Amaro has a legitimate point. They can’t afford to get stuck in a bidding war with Werth. I don’t think Amaro’s comments were so much, “You need to sign now or we’re not interested,” as much as, “Let us now if we’ve got a shot with the offer we’ve made, otherwise, we need to add different pieces.”
The Phillies have no intention in keeping Jayson Werth, evidenced by their recent request to have an answer in the near future. Werth is now a Scott Boras client and Boras’ clients do not sign deals this early in the offseason. Boras’ basic negotiations begin with two numbers ($ and years) as starting points for the negotiation and only increase from there. He does not approach ballclubs and say it will take 5 yrs and 100 million to sign Werth, rather he says the negotiations will start at 5 yrs and 100 million. From there the highest bidder, for the most part, wins. Historically, Boras is usually able to obtain what he and his client seek entering into free agency, and if not he always tests the market. The market will not be tested until well after the Baseball Winter Meetings.
I think it’s definitly a PR move. The Phillies know they can’t match the years Boston and others are probably willing to give him whether Ruben admits it or not.Frankly, I don’t care of Jayson comes back. I’d rather spend the money on the bullpen by signing a Scott Downs as well as others. With the 1-2-3 we have and with Madson and Lidge and possibly a shut down lefty at the back end as well as our wave of young bp arms, we can afford to have a hole in our line up… and I think you could get similar production from a Brown/Fransisco platoon. Brown has star upside and Fransisco has shown 15+ home run power and with consistent ab’s he’s been pretty solid for us.
Only way I see this happening early is if Amaro goes way overboard like he did with Howard to the point that even Boras is taken aback.
Why would he have to go overboard? He doesn’t have to overpay to bring him back. A comparable offer in line with other teams will bring him back.
Early, if philly insist that this has to happen early I would bet they have to go overboard. It’s in Werth and Boras’ interest to let this play out in a shallow FA market.
Do I think they’re serious in a desire to have Jayson Werth? Yes. They are not stupid.
Do I think that it will happen quickly? No. It will not.
Do I think they have a shot? Maybe.
As previously mentioned, Boras isn’t likely to advise Werth to sign before the Winter Meetings. Stranger things have happened, however. Jason Varitek comes to mind as a guy who didn’t play it Boras’s way on his 2004 contract with the Red Sox. Werth, however, will likely “test the waters”. Be great to have him on the Phillies next year, but I’m not rushing out to buy a Jayson Werth jersey.
This.
The poll question is slightly misleading. I’m sure the Phillies are intent on keeping Werth. They’d love to have him back next year, and I’m also willing to bet they’re trying to make that happen. But they’re not going to be successful. I’m sure a lot of people meant “no” as in “they’re not going to keep him” instead of “they don’t want to keep him”.
The Phillies would absolutely welcome Werth back, if the price tag was 4/68 or less. But that’s the max. I think there’s a 90 percent chance that some team will exceed that offer.
I called PR move yesterday and I’m sticking to it. I do believe they’d like to keep him but I think they’re turned off by his agent hustling during the season before settling on the Devil, I mean the Boras. I also believe they see him as replaceable to an extent and not likely to be worth what he’s going to get on the market and someone who’s decline phase could come sooner during his next contract than later. I think if they could get him for three years, $15 million they certainly take it but they know it’s not going to happen so they’re setting up their reasoning right now for why they aren’t going to bring him back.
Jon Heyman is a pawn, and Amaro is gaining public support in Philly by making it seem as though It is all on Werth for leaving or staying. Whatever.
If Amaro was smart, he’d start shopping Howard immediately. Who would want to be the GM who is paying Howard $25M per year when he’s 34 to 36? Of course, that’s probably why he won’t find but one or two potential nibblers. They’d undoubtedly be a better team with Werth and without Howard, than vice versa, money aside.
If only Amaro had thought of this in May.
I have written it before, and I will write it again. The Phillies will not approach Yankees or Red Sox territory within the next 6 years, unless the Comcast/NBC merger becomes exceptionally profitable. The Phillies are locked into a 6 year TV deal with Comcast, that includes equity in Comcast.
The reason the Yankees are able to spend so much money is because of YES. The Yankees bring in billions each year from YES network, which in turn is spent on players, marketing, scouting, and the like.
Given the Phillies recent trend, their ratings have increased drastically, so you expect the Phillies to either create a Phillies channel, or sign another deal with Comcast, this one much more team favorable (see Rangers, Texas).
As for Werth, I am sure the Phillies are intent on keeping him. I am also quite sure that they will not go to 5 years for a player, nor should they. I said if Werth is willing to backload his contract, only taking $8 M this season, as well as sign for 4 years with a mutual option for the 5th, he could very well be back with the Phillies.
The Phillies have to look forward, as the next two years are rather pivotal. Hamels is a free agent in 2012, which is their most important priority, and Victorino is a free agent in 2012 as well, much less of a priority to the point I’d let him walk.
If Werth resigns, you have to look to dump Ibanez to any team looking for mild offense. You don’t look for a prospect in return for him, you try to get the other team to eat as much salary as possible. I’m more than comfortable getting a career single A reliever if it means the Phillies only have to eat half of the salary.
As for the poster who said shop Dom Brown, that near-sighted thinking is truly embarrassing for you. Why would they trade a top 5 prospect who is under team control for 6 seasons to keep a 38 year old outfielder who is a free agent after the season?