After losing Adam Dunn to the Chicago White Sox earlier in the week, the Washington Nationals needed to make a big move to appease many of their fans. Two days later, they have done just that. According to multiple reports, the Nationals have signed free agent Jayson Werth to a seven-year contract for $126 million.
Mike Harris of Nationals Fanboy Loser was the first to mention this, and it was also mentioned by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports confirmed the news and also reported the $126 million figure
Werth was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies since 2007, where he was a key cog in one of the best offenses in the NL. Last season, Werth belted 25 home runs and 85 RBI while hitting .296 with a .388 on-base percentage. In 2009, Werth hit 36 home runs and had 99 RBI while hitting .268 with a .373 on-base percentage. Those were clearly the two best seasons of his career. He is also 31, which is ironic because Dunn was also 31 and was deemed too old to get a long-term contract. However, the Nationals likely prefer Werth's above-average outfield play to Dunn's below-average fielding.
The team will announce the news shortly. For more, head over to Federal Baseball.