Watch CBS News

Jayson Werth Says Phillies Are Getting Older, Other Lineup Concerns

By Kyle Scott

Oh, hey, Jayson. Glad to see that you continue to not be able to keep the Phillies' name out of your mouth.

Werth is just the latest person to question the Phillies' lineup. Seems everyone is forgetting about the Four Aces.

Earlier today, Phillies beat writer Jim McCormick wrote about baseball super nerd Jonah Keri, who believes the Phillies may not make the playoffs, thanks to their aging, and now depleted, lineup.

Now Werth, yet again, decided to opine on his former team and the reasons why the Nationals were a better "fit" for him. He told Tyler Kepner of the New York Times that the Phillies were getting older.

"I hope so," he said. "I mean, I hope so in the short term versus the long term, too. That team's getting older. That was part of my decision, too. I was looking at being there four, five, six years; where was their team going to be toward the end of my contract? That was a negative for them. Nothing against those guys — I love all those guys over there — but that was something that really made me look hard at this team, because toward the end of this contract, these guys are going to still be in their prime."

Of course, Werth probably didn't take into account the fact that the Phillies, by selling out every game, have put themselves in a great position to re-load, rather than re-build.

God the bitter bus just won't let JW off.

Someone should also tell him that he's delusional. This "end of my contract talk" is nonsense. The Phillies reportedly offered him half - both in terms of dollars and years - of what the Nationals offered him. There would have been no fourth, fifth, and sixth years in Philly.

But Judas does raise an interesting point.

The Phillies are getting older, and the injuries in spring training have not helped assuage worries about the lineup, age, and short-term success.

One thing to look at is the guys that are healthy: Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez.

Rollins only played in 20 games during the first three months of last season. In total, the Phillies were 54-24 with Rollins in the lineup and 43-41 without. Big difference. He's healthy and in a contract year.

Ibanez, despite being healthy to start last season, was admittedly not in the best of shape after off-season surgery in 2009. Once he was able to regain his strength and timing, he was back to his normal, streaky self- posting a .309 average in the second half of 2010. This year, thanks to a strenuous local offseason workout program, Ibanez is fully healthy. We're more likely to see the 2009 version of Raul, as opposed to the early-2010 version we saw last year.

Yes, age is a concern. So it Chase Utley's knee. But the Phillies have four of the top 15 starting pitchers in baseball. They should be just fine.

This article reflects the opinion of Kyle Scott. Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com, one of Philly's top sports blogs, known for its sarcastic and irreverent take on the Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, and Eagles.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.