![\"werth\"](\"http:\/\/www3.allaroundphilly.com\/blogs\/delcotimes\/ryanl\/uploaded_images\/url-775576.jpg\")
OK, I’m borrowing Bry’s “Tell Me I’m Crazy” column here because I definitely think I might be crazy for proposing that the Phillies should trade Jayson Werth this off-season.\u00a0 Before I make my case, let me acknowledge the multitude of reasons why this might seem like a terrible idea at first glance:<\/p>\n
Reason #1<\/strong>:\u00a0 To put it simply, Jayson Werth is awesome<\/em>!\u00a0 I’ve said that many times over the past year and a half, and I’m not backing down from that stance at all now.\u00a0 After an injury-plagued start to his career, Werth has emerged as one of the premier right-fielders in baseball.\u00a0 Much has been made of the “leap” he made this year to 36 homers, but he had a very similar season in 2008, but only hit 24 homers because he had almost\u00a0200 less\u00a0plate-appearances (as a result of platooning with Geoff Jenkins for the first half of the season).\u00a0 He also led baseball in pitches-per-plate-appearance this year, which not only wears down the opposing pitcher, but also gave him a stellar .373 on-base percentage.<\/p>\n Aside from what he can do with the bat, he’s also stolen\u00a040 bases over the last two seasons, while being thrown out 4 times.\u00a0 And in the field, he’s played a Gold\u00a0Glove-caliber right-field, and has the ability to play a solid center-field if you need\u00a0it.\u00a0 Like I said,\u00a0Jayson\u00a0Werth\u00a0is awesome<\/em>!\u00a0<\/p>\n Reason #2<\/strong>:\u00a0 It’s been well-documented that the Phillies have a lack of right-handed bats.\u00a0 Their other three 30-home run guys of this year are all lefties.\u00a0 Not only is Werth the only right-handed power hitter on the team, but he also crushes\u00a0 <\/em>left-handed pitching like few players I’ve ever seen, which is exactly what you want sandwiched in between guys like Howard and Ibanez.<\/p>\n Reason #3<\/strong>:\u00a0 He’s clutch.\u00a0 He pounded seven homers in 51 AB’s this postseason, and he hit .444 (8-18) with a homer and three doubles\u00a0in the World Series against the Rays in 2008.\u00a0 Have I mentioned that Jayson Werth is awesome?<\/p>\n Reason #4<\/strong>:\u00a0 Although he’s getting a big raise next year, a $7.5 mil. price tag (up\u00a0from $2.5 mil.)\u00a0is still a steal for what Werth gives you.<\/p>\n So, those are some very compelling reasons to NOT trade Werth.\u00a0\u00a0Here are the reasons why the Phillies SHOULD trade Jayson Werth this off-season:<\/p>\n Reason #1<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0Starting off with one of the weaker arguments: the payroll.\u00a0 As Bry detailed a few days ago, the Phillies have a lot of players\u00a0getting raises in 2010, and\u00a0with all the talent they\u00a0have assembled, it will take a ridiculous\u00a0amount of money to\u00a0keep all of the key players on this team here for the\u00a0long-term.\u00a0\u00a0It’s not our\u00a0money, but Ruben Amaro does\u00a0have a budget, and every dollar spent in one place is one\u00a0dollar less spent somewhere else.\u00a0 Choices will have to\u00a0be made about what players will get mega-contracts, and which ones won’t.\u00a0 Werth will be a free-agent after next year and, make no mistake, he will be looking for one of those mega-contracts if he does anything close to what he did this year.<\/p>\n Reason #2<\/strong>:\u00a0 Even if they can find a way to keep all of the current core for the\u00a0long-term, they’d be setting themselves up to have an old team in\u00a0a few years.\u00a0 When Spring Training starts in February, Victorino will be the only Phillie regular under 30, and he turns 29 in a couple weeks.\u00a0 Could we be setting ourselves up for a repeat of what happened after the 1980 championship, when the Wheeze Kids won a pennant in ’83, then the Phils spent the next decade in the basement? Reason #3<\/strong>:\u00a0 His value\u00a0will never be higher.\u00a0\u00a0As I’ve said, I don’t think his production these last two years is a fluke, but that means that general managers around the league probably don’t think it was either.\u00a0 I’m pretty sure there are more than a few teams out there that would be interested in a five-tool player that can hit 35 homers.\u00a0 Werth could be used to bolster the pitching staff, or to stock up with some more nice prospects to secure the future of the team.<\/p>\n Reason #4<\/strong>:\u00a0 Michael Taylor (and Domonic Brown).\u00a0 As we heard about plenty during the Roy Halladay negotiations\u00a0this summer, the Phillies have two elite outfield prospects.\u00a0 Taylor\u00a0absolutely dominated AA\u00a0in the first-half of ’09, and then was rock solid at AAA\u00a0in the second-half.\u00a0 He’s basically knocking down\u00a0the door, and the Phils will need to find a spot for him sooner rather than later.\u00a0 Obviously, he could eventually replace Ibanez in left-field, but\u00a0the presence of Brown means that the Phillies might have to open up two outfield spots in the coming years.\u00a0 Taylor could replace Werth in ’10, and Brown could take over for Ibanez in ’12.<\/p>\n So, that’s my case.\u00a0 Tell me I’m crazy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" OK, I’m borrowing Bry’s “Tell Me I’m Crazy” column here because I definitely think I might be crazy for proposing that the Phillies should trade Jayson Werth this off-season.\u00a0 Before I make my case, let me acknowledge the multitude of … Continue reading ![\"taylor\"](\"http:\/\/www.reclinergm.com\/images\/michael-taylor-reading.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"beltre\"](\"http:\/\/seattletimes.nwsource.com\/ABPub\/2007\/11\/06\/2003998163.jpg\")
Reason #5<\/strong>:\u00a0 Adrian Beltre.\u00a0 Obviously, the Phils want to set themselves up for a title next year, and\u00a0while I think Taylor would be solid, you can’t expect him to replace Werth’s production in the line-up as a rookie.\u00a0\u00a0That’s why, if Werth is going to be traded, I think it’s imperative that the Phils sign Beltre to play third.\u00a0 Beltre is the youngest (30)\u00a0of all the third-base options on the market, and he’s also the best.\u00a0 He might actually be an upgrade over Feliz defensively,\u00a0 <\/em>as he took the AL Gold Glove in ’07 and ’08.\u00a0 He had an injury-plagued ’09, but he was really consistent at the plate from ’06-’08, with HR totals of 25, 26, and 25.\u00a0 He was also playing in one of the best pitcher-parks in baseball.\u00a0 Based on his road splits (which were not surprisingly much better than at home)\u00a0and what it’s like at the Bank, it’s not hard to imagine Beltre duplicating Werth’s production.\u00a0 After all, we\u00a0only have\u00a0to look at Ibanez to see what can happen with the move from Safeco Park\u00a0to the Bank.\u00a0 So, Beltre could slot into Werth’s 5-hole, and Taylor could hit 7th.<\/p>\n