Soon after news of Jayson Werth’s signing a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski let it be known to virtually every media outlet that covers his team that the Nationals far exceeded any offer they were willing to make.
“We were not involved,” Dombrowski said via e-mail to the Detroit Free Press (among many other outlets). And since no other remarks from Dombrowski have been offered, the assumption is that his message was exactly that succinct. They weren’t close to making the same kind of offer to Werth, in either years or money, and that’s the end of it.
The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported yesterday — before Werth’s deal with the Nationals became public — that neither the Tigers nor Boston Red Sox appeared willing to give Werth a sixth year on a contract offer.
The Werth signing had other effects on the Tigers and Red Sox, however. WEEI.com reports that Boston is happy that Werth didn’t sign with the Tigers, thus ensuring that the Red Sox will get Detroit’s No. 19 selection in the first round of next year’s draft. That will be the highest pick the team has had since 2003.
(Hat tip to The Detroit Tigers Weblog)