Veteran outfielder Jayson Werth tells Jon Heyman of Fancred that his playing days are over.
Werth, who turned 39 last month, had been toiling for Triple-A Tacoma -- the Mariners' top affiliate -- in an effort to work his way back to the majors. However, hamstring issues in tandem with poor production have led him to call it a career.
And quite a career it's been Across parts of 15 big-league seasons for the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Phillies, and Nationals, Werth batted .267/.360/.455 (117 OPS+) with 1,465 hits, 229 home runs, 132 stolen bases and a career WAR of 29.0. He was an All-Star with Philadelphia in 2009 and the following year finished eighth in the NL MVP balloting.
After the 2010 season, he signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Nationals. The deal was widely panned at the time, at least with regard to the team perspective, but Werth wound up being a productive fixture on a team that turned into a regular contender -- in part because of Werth's bestowals. As well, the Werth signing added some credibility to an organization that was coming off a 103-loss season and had been mostly a failure since relocating from Montreal.
Werth was also something of a force in the postseason, as he authored an OPS of almost .900 in 63 playoff games. Over that span, he also tallied 15 home runs, the most famous of which was a walk-off for Washington in Game 4 of the 2012 NLDS ...
Werth of course has no plausible Hall of Fame case, but cobbling together a 15-year run at the highest level when you were once regarded as a first-round bust and failed catching prospect who had his career imperiled by a wrist injury is something indeed. Werth will always be beloved in Philly for being a core member of that 2008 title team, and that's likewise the case in D.C., which he proved to be a viable destination for premium free agents.
