By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
If Jayson Werth reaches the major leagues in 2018, it appears he'll do so playing for a team outside the National League East, following an 11-year run in the division. But just days before the 2018 regular season begins, Werth has been given an opportunity to continue his career, as Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that the Mariners have signed the 38-year-old to a minor league contract.
Earlier this month, Werth explained during a telecast of his son's high school baseball game that he had watched his former teammate Pedro Martinez join the Phillies during the 2009 season and make an impact, something he believed he was capable of doing. Still, he seemed at peace with whatever transpired.
“It’s not totally abnormal for guys, when you’re older, you don’t sign until after the season starts,” Werth said during a VBHS telecast, via The Washington Post. “So, we’ll see. If not, no regrets. Great run. I get to watch my kids play finally.”
He has received that chance, with Divish noting that Werth will stay in Peoria, Arizona, the Spring Training home of the Mariners, for extended Spring Training. After that, Divish says that the Mariners plan to send Werth to Triple-A Tacoma. For his part, Werth said earlier this month that while he's continued to prepare to play this offseason, he would need two or three weeks of "actually playing baseball" before he would be ready to appear at the major league level.
While Werth has declined fairly rapidly as a fielder in recent years and is signing with an American League team, he's blocked at DH by Nelson Cruz. Cruz is a DH for a reason – the Texas Rangers may have a World Series ring if he wasn't playing in right field during in 2011. Despite the fact that he's regressed as a fielder, the Mariners may be interested in having Werth as an insurance option for left fielder Guillermo Heredia.
Phillies Nuggets: 2018 Club And MLB Predictions
After hitting just .226 in 252 at-bats for the Washington Nationals in 2017, how likely is it that Werth impresses enough in Triple-A to stick with the Mariners? It's certainly possible. On top of his extended postseason experience, Werth slashed .282/.378/.437 last April, and was fairly productive in May before going down with a foot injury.
The Mariners did recently re-sign franchise icon Ichiro Suzuki to a major league deal and also have Austin Romine in the fold, so they aren't short on outfield options.
Werth completed a seven-year/$126 million contract with the Nationals in 2017. With Bryce Harper, Michael A. Taylor, Adam Eaton and top prospect Victor Robles all in the fold for 2018, returning to the Nationals never seemed like much of a possibility for Werth. Still, he left Washington as one of the young franchise's most popular players ever.
Even though he's the Phillies all-time leader in playoff home runs, Werth, at best, has a mixed reputation in Philadelphia. Some fans hold it against him that he signed a seven-year/$126 million free-agent contract with the Nationals after the 2010 season, even though it appeared that the Phillies were more focused on trying to lure Cliff Lee back to Philadelphia than retaining Werth. Before his final at-bat at Citizens Bank Park in 2017, Werth tipped his batting helmet to the crowd, acknowledging the special four-year run that he had with the Phillies from 2007-2010.
