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I was hoping to post this yesterday, but in the flurry of activity surrounding the Jayson Werth press conference, I didn't get a chance to put it up.
General manager Mike Rizzo wrote a letter to fans before the Werth press conference detailing a few (though not all) of the Nationals' future plans. Considering how many of you have been asking about the exact meaning of the "Phase Two" characterization the Nationals have been using to describe their current roster plan, I thought I'd post the letter here:
Dear Nationals fans:
On Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park, we will introduce and formally welcome Jayson Werth into our family.
It's always been our philosophy that championship teams are built on pitching, defense and athleticism, and I feel like we've made great strides over the last couple of seasons through the draft, acquisitions and trades. I firmly believe we're building the foundation of a team that will be a long-term contender.
Jayson is an ideal fit for our ballclub. He's a middle-of-the-order bat, an above-average athlete and elite defender. He will win us games on both offense and defense. Jayson, like Ryan Zimmerman, is the prototypical National League player that we covet and he has made it clear to us that he wants to be part of a baseball renaissance in the Nation's Capital.
Jayson's signing stunned the assembled baseball universe two weekends ago in Orlando. As fun as it was to make the announcement, the signing also ushered in Phase Two of our franchise's evolution where we add the key pieces that will help us compete for division titles and championships.
We still have work to do. I assure you that the Nationals baseball operations department will continue to work around the clock to find the very best prospects and impact players to grace the field of Nationals Park on Opening Day - we're looking forward to seeing you there.
As always, we appreciate your support of Nationals baseball.
Happy holidays to all. I hope to be in touch again in the coming weeks...
Mike Rizzo
