Top stories of 2017: Werth's farewell

As we count down the final days of 2017, we're counting down the most significant stories of the year for the Nationals. Some are positive. Some are negative. All helped define this baseball season in Washington. We'll reveal two per day through New Year's Eve, continuing right now with ...

No. 5: Jayson Werth's farewell

"LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - It's a rare day indeed, when the Washington Nationals make a move that shakes up the entire baseball world.

"This is a franchise that for the better part of six years has existed on the periphery of the major leagues, content to build its franchise through draft picks and second-tier acquisitions, leaving the headlines to its counterparts in New York and Boston and Chicago and Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

"So when word came down this afternoon that the Nationals - yes, the Nationals - had signed Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million - yes, seven years and $126 million - contract, the sound echoing through the Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort where the Winter Meetings are about to convene was the jaw of every member of the baseball world dropping to the floor in unison.

"So much for the Nationals staying on the periphery while everyone else makes news."

- Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com, Dec. 5, 2010

So much has happened with regards to baseball in Washington over the last seven years that it's easy to forget what the state of things was on that December day in 2010 when the Nationals shockingly signed Jayson Werth to the kind of contract this franchise had never come close to giving a player prior to that point. This was a franchise that lost an average of 96 games over the previous five seasons, one that ranked in the bottom third of the majors in payroll each of those seasons.

The Nats had taken some key steps in their long-term rebuilding project, most notably drafting and signing Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. But general manager Mike Rizzo recognized the next step involved the signing of a big-name free agent, someone who not only would contribute on the field but also show other big-name players Washington was a destination worth considering.

In Werth, Rizzo found an ideal partner. The 31-year-old outfielder had put together three big seasons with the Phillies, helping that franchise win one World Series and reach another. Werth had offers from more established teams - most notably the Red Sox - but nobody else was offering more than five years. The Nats offered seven, an admitted overpay, but one Rizzo knew was necessary to lure a free agent to D.C. at that time.

Seven years later, Werth's contract has expired. And while he was far from perfect at times - usually due to injuries, but sometimes due to simple poor play - it's hard to look back at the deal as anything other than a significant success for the Nationals.

Werth struggled in his first season with the Nats, perhaps overcompensating for the burden of his contract, posting a .232/.330/.389 slash line in 2011. He excelled over the next three seasons, though, with a .303/.394/.479 slash line from 2012-14 that also earned him MVP votes after two of those campaigns. His final three years, though, were a disappointment, given a .233/.322/.402 slash line and diminished defensive play.

In the end, though, Werth's contributions to the Nationals extended far beyond the field. It's not hyperbole to say he played a major role in changing the culture of the franchise, whether in his guidance of younger players, his suggestions to improve the team's training and dining practices or the simple fact his signing helped convince other stars like Max Scherzer to come to Washington themselves.

Werth's impending departure lurked under the surface throughout 2017, but it didn't really come to the forefront until late September, when the Nationals traveled to Philadelphia and Werth realized it might be the last time he ever played at Citizens Bank Park, then back home when the Nats played a tribute video to him during the regular season finale.

Werth, of course, still had the postseason, one that was a major disappointment for him as well as the team. He remains unsigned at this point, likely forced to wait until the final weeks before spring training to find an employer and unlikely to get an offer from the Nationals.

Werth wasn't able to be part of a late October celebration in Washington. Here's hoping if and when that day finally comes, the Nationals make sure he's appropriately recognized for helping set the stage for it to happen.