Philly

Since Jayson Werth's surprise signing with the Washington Nationals on Sunday, Philadelphia has been left with a giant void to fill in the outfield. 

Have you ever owned a jack-in-the-box? If so, do you remember that feeling of anticipation that sunk deep within your stomach right before the lid popped open? No matter what you did to prepare yourself, nothing could stop the overflow of surprise when that lid popped open, right?

Pretty much everyone knows about the two gems of this year's free agency period, Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford. Even though the pool is relatively weak this year, there are other big names out there. One of the most notable is that of Phillies right fielder Jayson Werth.

Werth had a career year this past season, hitting .296 with 27 home runs, 85 RBI, and a league high 46 doubles, en route to an eighth place finish in MVP voting. As such, there are many that could use his bat in the lineup.

Which teams have the best chance to land him, and who is the front runner?

What's that bad taste in my mouth?

No, it's not left-over Thanksgiving turkey. It is the taste of left-over October Turkey, as in, the bad taste that has been left in my mouth since watching Ryan Howard end the Phillies season with his bat in his hand as he watched a full-count strike three go by him.

Isn't it crazy how quickly we forget that the Phillies finished the 2010 regular season red-hot and with the best record in baseball?

Jayson Werth's free agency and impending contract is one of the hot topics in Philadelphia these days. Recently, Werth's agent Scott Boras (maybe you've heard of him) was on talk radio and had the following to say about his client and his time in Philadelphia:

As the Philadelphia Phillies' season came to an abrupt end against the Giants in the NLCS, the offseason went about itself the next day.

We have already seen J.C. Romero's $4.5 million option not picked up and heard from Jayson Werth about him testing the free agent waters. All odds are pointing toward him not being in a Philadelphia uniform in 2011. With that being said, there are definitely some needs that this Phillies team has to address, and the most likely way to address that is through free agency.

I can say without a doubt that I am seriously spoiled as a Phillies fan. I admit it.

Ten consecutive seasons of at least 80 wins. Eight consecutive winning seasons. Four straight division titles. Two pennants. And a world championship.

I cannot even imagine being a Pirates fan. An Orioles fan. A Nationals fan.

As Ryan Howard watched a 3-2 pitch from closer Brian Wilson catch the plate, the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies season was over. An unsatisfying taste was left in the mouths of the team, manager, front office and the fans. This team, which had traded for Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt in the past year, had expectations of World Series or bust. 

Consider 2010 a bust.

Without the benefit of a Farmer's Almanac or sophisticated meteorological computer modeling, it is clear that it will be a long, cold winter in Philadelphia.  

In a game steeped in desperation, the Philadelphia Phillies came alive to send Game 6 of the 2010 NLCS back to Philadelphia, and the good doctor provided the cure for the woeful Phillies at just the right time.

But for the Phillies, the importance was in HOW they won this game.

Miscues in the field, lack of power, nearly zero base stealing: All of these things have plagued the Phillies and prevented them from either closing out a winnable game, or stopping the Giants.

Let's take a look at how Philadelphia fared this time around, as we get ready for Saturday.