Jayson Werth, a Red Sox or a Ray

Here’s an interesting bit of info to chew on for a bit.

Via Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports:

Few imagined that the Phillies would be willing to trade one of their most productive players before the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

But the Phils’ seven-game homestand before the All-Star break could determine the course of their season — and the future of right fielder Jayson Werth.

The Phillies, five games back in the N.L. East, will face two first-place clubs — the Braves and theReds. Right-hander Roy Halladay and lefty Cole Hamels will pitch four of the seven games, beginning with Halladay’s start Monday night against Braves righty Derek Lowe.

For now, the Phillies remain buyers.

[snip]

But if the Phillies somehow fall out of contention, they likely would entertain trading Werth, major-league sources say.

“I could be buying and selling,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Monday, without referencing a specific player.

Werth, 31, is a free agent at the end of the season. The Phillies have made little progress in their efforts to extend his contract. If they made Werth available, he likely would become the most desired hitter on the market — a potential fit for the Red Sox, Rays and numerous other clubs.

Now, this post isn’t directly about the Yankees because, as I see it, if Werth were made available, I doubt that the Yankees would be interested in him (I think they will be interested in him in the winter, but not now). However, the Red Sox – and Werth kind of looks like a Red Sox – and the Rays – a team with a surprisingly weak offense – are two teams that might presumably be interested in the bearded basher, according to KR and JPM, which brings the Yankees into the fold from an American League East standpoint. Now, Brian Cashman won’t go after Werth, though the team that he crafted for 2010 would be immediately impacted by the addition of Werth to a rival ball club.

Basically, things could get messy if Werth hits the block (make no mistake, such a scenario is more unlikely than it is likely). A Red Sox lineup featuring Werth would be quite a sight, offensively (Youkilis, Drew, Pedroia, Werth–they all look like brothers, actually). Or, imagine Werth hitting in a lineup with Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria? Yikes.

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