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As Expected, Werth Declines Arbitration

Jayson Werth officially did what everyone unofficially thought he would do. Werth declined the Phillies arbitration offer just before midnight last night and will head into free agency looking to cash in.

The prized 31-year old rightfielder joins some names like Adam Dunn, Carl Crawford, Cliff Lee, Adrian Beltre, and others who have declined arbitration from their respective clubs in order to test the open market. Werth certainly will be one of the hotter names, as you know, with teams like Boston, Detroit, and the Phillies all linked to him.

Werth said last week that he will allow this process to breathe a little and likely won’t make a decision on a team in the short-term.

A few guys who declined arbitration yesterday that may entice the Phillies are relievers Scott Downs (Blue Jays), Randy Choate and Chad Qualls (Rays), and Pedro Feliciano (Mets).

Pat Gallen

Pat joined Phillies Nation in July 2009, coming over from Examiner.com. As a previous employee of both Comcast SportsNet and the National Basketball Association, Pat prides himself on being a well-rounded individual when it comes to sports. However, the Phillies are first on the list. You’ll usually find Pat chiming in on the Phillies Nation Facebook or Twitter account, weekdays on 97.3 ESPN radio or hosting Phillies Nation TV. He’s also a Senior Writer for the site, and in his free time is a music enthusiast and Will Ferrell movie-follower. His favorite beer: Philly’s own Yards. In 2015, Pat moved on from Phillies Nation as a sports anchor and reporter for CBS-3 in Philadelphia.