Fans continue to boo struggling outfielder
The positives have been few and far between for Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth this season. A marquee free agent last winter who signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Nationals, he has labored through a miserable 2011.
Even Werth’s rare good days are tainted now. He had two hits on Thursday afternoon against the Florida Marlins — just his fourth multi-hit game since May 30 — and drove in two runs. But that wasn’t enough for Washington in a 5-2 loss.
| BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS |
| $12,432 » Jayson Werth has earned for each of his 37 RBI as of July 28. That was still tied for third-most on the team. But he ranked seventh in slugging percentage (.366). |
| $144,500 » Washington has paid Werth for each of his 80 hits prior to this weekend. With 64 percent of the season complete six Nats batters had a better OPS than Werth (.692). |
| $312,432 » Werth has earned for each of his 37 RBI as of July 28. That was still tied for third-most on the team. But he ranked seventh in slugging percentage (.366). |
| $1.050m » The Nats have paid so far for each of Werth’s 11 home runs entering a weekend series against the New York Mets. |
| $4m » Signing bonus for Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth within a month after signing his lucrative free-agent contract with the organization last December. |
| $10m » Salary for the 2011 season, the first of a seven-year deal where much of the money is paid late in the contract. |
| $11.556m » Average annual salary Werth had earned from Washington as of July 28. |
| $18m » The annual average value over the life of Werth’s contract as negotiated by his agent, Scott Boras. |
| $21m » Amount to be paid to Werth during the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons. He jumps from $13 million in 2012 to $16 million in 2013 to $20 million in 2014. |
It has become so frustrating for Nats fans they have taken to booing Werth at every opportunity. On Thursday, they didn’t even wait for the end of a play, groaning in frustration after Werth popped a fly ball down the line in right in the fourth inning. Those boos quickly turned to cheers when the Marlins fielders couldn’t get there in time and the ball dropped for an RBI single.
Teammates and coaches have never publicly questioned Werth’s work ethic. This isn’t an Albert Haynesworth situation with the Redskins. But at a certain point a player making that much money has to produce or it could cripple the franchise going forward.
“Still need to get there,” Werth said. “I’m kind of tired of saying I’m close, that’s for sure.”
There have been signs of life lately. Werth had eight hits on Washington’s nine-game road trip immediately after the All-Star break. But a couple of 0-for-3 games stalled his momentum. The overall numbers entering Saturday night’s game with the New York Mets — .219 batting average, 19 doubles, 11 home runs, .326 on-base percentage — are still embarrassing for a player who was a key cog in the Philadelphia Phillies’ phenomenal run of success in recent years, including a 2008 World Series title. Werth’s lack of production has been as baffling to himself as it has been to the fans who have taken to booing him.
“He’s not going to change. He has a track record that he knows what he can do, and we do too,” Nats teammate Laynce Nix said earlier this month. “So he doesn’t take [booing] too hard. He knows he hasn’t been playing his best, but there’s a long way to go. And I think with his makeup it’ll be OK.”
A few solid games this weekend against the Mets would have helped make Saturday’s game against the Mets less awkward. It was Jayson Werth bobblehead night.
