List of Stuff That Has Aged Gracefully, Vol. 1

Tom Hanks

Pearl Jam

Jim Thome

Fran Drescher’s body

Larry David

Nationals Do It Again

“The Nationals are ready to win,” writes Nationals beat reporter Bill Ladsen on MLB.com in announcing Washington’s 7-year, $126 million signing of free agent right fielder Jayson Werth on Sunday.

Whoops.

Werth is obviously a very good player, having posted an OPS+ of 131 over his four years with the Phillies, however, had he achieved this feat while playing on a team that didn’t also feature Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels and make the playoffs four years in a row, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t even be discussing the prospect of Jayson Werth: $100 Million Man.

For some prospective, let’s take a look at two other guys who didn’t see regular playing time before their 27th birthdays (Werth didn’t exceed 500 plate appearances in a season until 2009, his age-30 season):

Shockingly, we don’t hear too much about the splash to be made when Scott and Willingham (combined postseason at-bats: 3) hit the open market next season. Guys like these three are good players that, unfortunately for the Nationals, are not good enough to be the best player on a championship-caliber team, which is what they’re paying Werth as if he were.

Before deciding to pay Jayson Werth $54,000,000 for his age-36, 37 & 38 seasons, Nats GM Mike Rizzo might have benefited from giving a call to the Blue Jays and ask them how Vernon Wells is doing.