Report: Nick Swisher Will Shoot for Jayson Werth-Type Contract as Free Agent This Offseason

by Dan Duquette Jr. on Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 7:07PM

Nick Swisher is having a good year for the Yankees — but is he having a nine-figure year?

Swisher may be looking for a contract in the neighborhood of Jayson Werth's seven-year, $126 million deal that the outfielder signed with the Nationals before the 2011 season.

"Some Yankees people have heard that's the figure Swisher is thinking about and may at least shoot for," writes CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, "and one other source who's spoken to Swisher said that, indeed, Swisher has shown real interest in Werth's deal."

Swisher enters Tuesday with a .271 batting average to go along with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs, meaning he has some ways to go in order to catch up with Werth's walk year with the Phillies. Back in 2010, Werth hit .296 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs.

Heyman writes that Swisher isn't crazy to want Werth's contract — and in fact his career numbers do make the idea reasonable — but it might be Werth's contract that is the crazy part of this equation. In any case, Swisher should be one of the bigger names available through free agency this offseason, which could translate into a big payday for the 31-year-old.