Washington Nationals News: Jayson Werth’s contract now includes deferred money
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily features stories on Jayson Werth‘s amended contract and the possibility of the Washington Nationals bringing a minor league affiliate to Waldorf, Maryland.
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
We start off today’s Daily with some interesting insight about Jayson Werth’s contract, courtesy of Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. As Rosenthal writes in his notes column below, Werth amended his original 7 year, $126 million deal last fall to defer $10 million of his 2016 salary to 2018. The money, according to Rosenthal, will be paid at 5 percent interest.
More from District on Deck
- Washington Nationals: Is Seth Lugo Still an Option?
- Robots in Baseball? The Possibility of an Automated Ball/Strike System in the MLB
- Washington Nationals Re-Sign RHP Erasmo Ramirez
- Washington Nationals Sign RHP Trevor Williams
- Washington Nationals find Success in First Draft Lottery
While Werth’s original contract did not include deferments, it’s not surprising that the veteran outfielder allowed the Nationals to amend his deal. The team has made deferred payments a central part of their recent contract negotiations, as shown by Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer‘s heavily deferred contracts.
Including deferred payments gives the Nationals some financial flexibility over the next several years. The downside, of course, is that it means the Nationals will be playing some players — particularly Scherzer and Strasburg — a lot of money after the playing years of their contract are over, when they most likely will no longer be helping the team win on the field.
That being said, the strategy gives the Nationals the ability to spend more money on players now and keep payroll at a reasonable level for years to come. That flexibility would help any club, but it’s especially helpful for the Nationals, who will soon be forced to offer Bryce Harper the richest contract in baseball history or risk losing the Face of the Franchise to another team.
Also in today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes discusses the possibility of the Nationals bringing a minor league affiliate to Waldorf, Maryland.
Be sure to check out the articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Notes: MLB’s diversity issue back in spotlight, brawl fallout and more
Excerpt from “New Wrinkle in Werth’s Contract”:
…In late March, I wrote that Jayson Werth’s $21 million salaries in 2016 and ’17 restricted the Nationals’ ability to sign a slugging outfielder last offseason (the team’s bids for Yoenis Cespedes and Jason Heyward were heavily deferred).
I did not have all of the facts at the time.
Werth, according to a copy of his contract recently obtained by FOX Sports, amended his deal last Oct. 15 to defer $10 million of his 2016 salary at 5 percent simple interest. The money, according to a source, will be paid in 2018…. Read full article here.
Charles County Commissioner says Nationals may soon have minor league affiliate in Waldorf
(Chelsea Janes, Washington Post)
A Charles County investment group has a deal in place to move the Batavia (N.Y.) Muckdogs, short-season A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, to Waldorf, where they would become an affilliate of the Washington Nationals, according to Charles County Commissioner Ken Robinson. Robinson emphasized that the move is “not a done deal” but said that the investment group involved is comprised of local African American businessmen — and would become the only African American ownership group in major or minor league baseball if the deal becomes official.
The team’s home in Waldorf would be Regency Furniture Stadium, which opened in 2008. Read full article here.