When the Washington Nationals signed right fielder Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million contract in December, many thought it would be a bad deal in years five, six and seven. Yet, with the regular season coming to a close in just a few weeks, it’s safe to say that it looks like an awful deal after one.
And it’s not why you think, either. The contract doesn’t look like a waste just because of his .230 average. It’s not just because of his .333 on-base percentage. It’s not just because of his .394 slugging percentage. It’s not even about his 141 strikeouts.
What it’s about is the way he has presented himself throughout the season. When you’re given a monstrous contract, the expectation is not just to put together impressive stats. Unless you sign with the Yankees or Red Sox, when you sign that kind of contract, you become the face of the franchise. When the team loses, like the Nats have done and were expected to do this season, people look to you for answers. You’re expected to handle your struggles and the team’s with class. Werth has not done that.
After a game in May in which the Nationals lost their fifth game in a row and were in last place in the NL East, Werth told reporters that “things need to change.” He did not clarify which changes he was referring to, but many believed the comments were made in the direction of then-manager Jim Riggleman. Riggleman eventually resigned amidst a contract dispute, though it had nothing to do with Werth.
The problem with Werth’s comments was that at the time, he was hitting about .240. It’s not like he was helping solve the problem; he was the problem. The changes he was talking about needed to come from him.
When reporters asked him about his comments the next night, he went on a diatribe about how the whole culture of the team needed to change, including how Teddy Roosevelt, who as a running joke has never won the fourth inning President’s Race, needed to win. He was dead serious. The fact that a person in a costume never got to win a meaningless race to entertain fans really bothered him.
Yes, that makes sense. The losing wasn’t the fact that at the time Jerry Hairston Jr., Laynce Nix and Roger Bernadina were all in the same everyday lineup. It was definitely the fake Teddy Roosevelt losing pre-determined races that influenced the result.
Then there are the reports that Washington’s right fielder refused to pose for pictures with fans at a charity event. These are people who paid a lot of money to have this experience, yet Werth could not be bothered to take a few photos.
It’s not right to treat teammates or coaches with disrespect, but when you start disrespecting your own fans, you’ve crossed into a whole different level.
It’s no wonder he’s been booed by Nationals fans when he strikes out looking, which he seems to think is his job. One part of the problem is clearly the money he is being paid to do more than he has done this season.
Just like A-Rod in New York, fans expect more when you’re being paid nine figures.
But the other reason is that Werth is simply not likeable. Red Sox fans did not boo David Ortiz when he struggled in the first few months of the 2010 season because fans love the guy. Werth has done nothing but alienate Nationals fans.
Jayson Werth is no superstar. No one ever thought he was, even when he was part of a World Series team in Philadelphia. Now, if he’d only stop acting like one.
blasky@theeagleonline.com
