Jayson Werth Signs With Nationals To $126 million
Right fielder Jayson Werth agreed Sunday to a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals, a huge deal announced even just before the winter conferences officially started.
The 31-year-old, who assisted the Phillies win the 2008 World Series title, hit .296 this year in his fourth and closing season with the Phillies. He had an NL-high 46 doubles, 27 homers and 85 RBIs.
Werth moves from the team which has won 4 straight NL East titles to 1 that finished very last this year at 69-93 and hasn’t had a successful record because 2003 – the franchise’s next-to-last season as the Montreal Expos.
His settlement was announced two days after the Nationals’ cleanup hitter, Adam Dunn, left for a $56 million, four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.
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Adrian Gonzalez Traded to Red Sox
Adrian Gonzalez, the slugging 28-year-old 1st basemen from the Padres who has hit about 30 homers every single with the final four years, continues to be traded for the Red Sox to get a bunch of prospects, ESPN’s Buster Olney reviews. It’s a normal baseball deal – little market place staff provides up a statistical beast (Gonzalez) to a big-market crew, and gets “highly-touted” prospects in return.
The deal should propel the Red Sox back into the postseason right after a 1-year absence. (And force the Yankees to severely contemplate OF Carl Crawford in addition to Cliff Lee.) The Padres will hope the prospects can contribute in 2011, but 2012 is a lot more likely. If you are a Padres fan, take pleasure in those youthful youngsters for awhile – unless, needless to say, a single of them blows up, and gets traded inside a couple of years.
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Papelbon can’t close door, Sox lose
BOSTON — The Red Sox were one strike away from a win that would have prolonged their season another day. But the Angels wouldn’t stand for it, coming up with three runs in the top of the ninth en route to a 7-6 victory that swept Boston out of the American League Division Series.
The victim of the jarring rally was closer Jonathan Papelbon, who entered Sunday never having allowed a run over 26 postseason innings. The Angels started their improbable rally with two outs and nobody on in the ninth. Erick Aybar laced a single up the middle. Chone Figgins worked a walk. Bobby Abreu brought the Angels within one on a double to left. The Red Sox walked Torii Hunter intentionally to load the bases for Vladimir Guerrero, and the star slugger delivered with a two-run single that gave the Angels their first lead of the day, silencing the Fenway faithful.
With some pep back in their offense, the Red Sox rode a two-run double by Dustin Pedroia and a two-run homer by J.D. Drew to a 5-1 lead through four innings against Angels starter Scott Kazmir.
Clay Buchholz performed well for Boston, allowing two runs over five-plus innings. The Angels got one back in the sixth, and two in the eighth to make it 5-4.
But Mike Lowell gave the Red Sox breathing room with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. As it turns out, it wasn’t enough breathing room.
The Red Sox entered the day 13-3 in potential elimination games under manager Terry Francona, and seemed primed to give themselves life again and force Game 4 on Monday night.
This time, however, it didn’t happen.
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