Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro hit back at reports that the Phillies have already written off the prospect of re-signing Jayson Werth. "That's unequivocally a false statement," Amaro said. "That did not come from me and I would not express that."
No one should start doing cartwheels down Broad Street in a parade celebrating Werth's return to the team, however. While Amaro said that they look forward to speaking with Werth's agent Scott Boras, they also want to get an answer about what Werth wants to do sooner rather than later.
"I don't think it's something we're going to let go on for a while," Amaro said. "Hopefully we'll find out if he's a viable option to bring back in a short period of time. Regardless of what happens with Jayson, there are things we need to do."
That second Amaro quote matters much more than the first one. We're not saying that it isn't true that the Phillies will make a serious effort to keep Werth in Philly, but Amaro is smart enough to know that this isn't going to be a particularly fast process unless they offer Werth something way beyond market value to keep him on the team.
Free agency doesn't work that way, especially not when you're one of the top three or four players on the open market coming off the best season of his care. You can double that especially when Boras, the king of the mystery team, is involved and trying to wring every last dollar out of suitors before his client puts his name on the dotted line. All of that means that the Phillies will be moving on without Werth if they are telling the truth. Having a stud prospect like Domonic Brown waiting in the wings certainly makes such a decision easier because it means you can spend money in other spots without worrying too much about who will take Werth's spot in the lineup.
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