Hey everybody. Welcome to the first post of Planamento and the Phillies! So I don't know about everybody else, but the offseason in the NL East has been pretty painful so far for Phillies fans. From the Marlins essentially giving Dan Uggla to the Braves, to Jayson Werth telling everybody he does not care about winning a championship, this offseason has had it share of twists.
Lets start with the Uggla trade. I have never had a reason to dislike the Marlins, a team that usually is competitive most of the season but will usually fall off towards the end of the season. However, this trade of Dan Uggla puts them on my hate list.. How do you trade your marquee player, a face of the franchise, for a journeyman infielder who had ONE good year in the majors and a lefty middle reliever? Not to mention IN THE SAME DIVISION. This trade just doesn't make any sense from a competition standpoint. Maybe I am just an upset Phillies fan who doesn't want to see a division foe get stronger, or maybe I am a realist who doesn't understand trading a slugger of Uggla's class inside the division that you compete in for basically pennies.
Now for the surprise signing that occurred today, Jayson Werth signing with Washington Nationals. I think this was a surprising move for many, many reasons. First,it showed that all Werth cares about is the money. Also, it shows that Washington is taking a huge chance on an aging outfielder with an injury history. When the offseason started, I think I was one of many who believed that Werth would get a deal similar to the deal Jason Bay signed with the Mets last year at 4 years, $66 mil. That would be a smart investment where you have him until he turns 36, and you don't have to worry about him getting hurt when he gets into his upper 30's. However, Washington was the only team that would give him a 7 year contract, and Werth jumped at the opportunity. This move will help the Nationals replace the production of Adam Dunn, but it will not help Washington get over the cellar hump, mostly because of the pitching woes they have had since they moved to Washington. The Nationals probably should have tried to split some money to get a front of the rotation starter as well, since they will be without Stephen Strasburg for most of the 2011 season. Well, I hope Werth likes losing, because it looks like he just kissed away the rest of his career.
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