"Baseball sources" have told the Inquirer that the Phillies are close to inking Jayson Werth, formerly of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Werth is just 27 and was once a highly thought of toolsy prospect capable of playing all three outfield positions. In 2004, he seemed to be putting things together: in 326 plate appearances he put up a .262/.338/.486 batting line. However, in 2005 he experienced a wrist injury which limited his playing time and also caused him to miss all of 2006.
Conventional wisdom held that the Phillies were looking for an left-handed batter for the outfield to play the David Dellucci role of 2007, but Werth is a righty. It's unclear of what role the Phillies expect from Werth and whether or not they are still searching for a left-handed bat. Perhaps when the terms of his contract are announced, we will have a better idea.
Several weeks ago, after the trade for Freddy Garcia, assistant Phils GM Mike Arbuckle mentioned that if the Phillies were going to buy Christmas presents for their starting pitchers, they would only give out five. But with Christmas just six days away, it looks as if Jon Lieber may be getting a gift after all.
Surprisingly, GM Pat Gillick has been unable to unload Lieber, even when the cost of starting pitching seems to be skyrocketing. The Twins, Pirates, Rangers, and Brewers have all taken a pass on Lieber.
It appeared that the Phillies severely misjudged the market on free agents this offseason, did they also misjudge the market on portly, mediocre, but cheap starting pitchers in their late 30's?
In other news, the Phillies are in negotiations with catcher Rod Barajas, presumably to backup Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste.
-----------------
Update from Phillies.com -
Says Gillick:
"Jayson is a young outfielder with a combination of power and speed," said Gillick. "He's had some injuries over the past couple years, but we think he has tremendous athleticism and we're very happy to have him in a Phillies uniform. He's a great addition to the club."
Says Werth:
"I'm looking forward to playing in Philadelphia," said Werth. "To be grouped in with a bunch of good young hitters, it feels like a great fit. I've heard a lot about the fans' passion and I'm excited to get going. Also, it meant a lot to be reunited with Mr. Gillick."
The deal is for one year, however no financial figures were reported.
-----------------
Update II: The deal is for one year as stated above and for 850,000 dollars, plus a possible 150,000 in incentives.
