Jayson Werth is far from playing his way to another city next season. If anything, he’s playing his way back to Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.

A year removed from his first all-star appearance, Werth has started 2010 on a tear that Phillies outfielders have rarely seen. In 31 games thus far, the man is hitting a team-high .349 (NL rank-3) with 38 hits, 7 home runs (7th), and 26 RBI (6th). He was just named National League Player of the Week for May 3-9.

The first legit player to hit behind and protect Ryan Howard in the line-up is scheduled to hit free agency after the season. The thought of a line-up without Werth is scary and Ruben Amaro Jr. will do everything in his power to keep the long-bearded, blue collar outfielder in red pinstripes.

The Phillies can keep Werth in a couple different scenarios. The bottom line is to keep Werth within the budget the Phillies set aside for their outfield. And, thanks to the imminent arrival of stud prospect Dominic Brown within the next year, it is possible.

Jayson Werth would love to pound a couple pitchers after signing a new deal with the Phils. If Ruben Amaro gets the deal done, the beer is on us at DailyPhiladelphian.com.

First, you have to figure that the Phillies want to keep the outfield payroll at about the $24.5 million range they are paying this year. Shane Victorino is hauling in $5 million in the first year of a three-year extension. Meanwhile, Raul Ibanez is raking in about $12 million, and Werth is being ripped off at a $7.5 million salary.

Werth is set to earn about double his current salary. A better player than the Mets Jason Bay, you have to think he’ll do better than Bay’s four-year, $66 million deal signed last winter. If Bay averages $16.5 million a year, you have to figure Werth gets $17-18 million a year.

The three ways to keep Werth are to:

• Trade Victorino, as our friend Micah at otrsportsonline.com pointed out today
• Trade Ibanez and pay most of his salary
• Keep everyone and underpay Werth in Year 1 and overpay in year 4

Would Shane Victorino be the odd man out of the Phillies resign Jayson Werth?

Let’s look at the salary figures for the next two years and then consider the possibilities.

2011: Victorino-$7.5 million; Ibanez-$12 million; Brown-$400,000 = $20 million
2012: Victorino-$9.5 million; Brown-$500,000 = $10 million

As it stands, you have $5 million to play with next year if you keep everyone, and $15 million to play with in 2012. Paying Werth $17 million in 2012 is not an issue with only $10 million committed to the outfield. An outfield budget of $27 million two years from now is comparable to the $24.5 million this year.

The problem comes next year. You have to figure Werth needs at least $13 million next year, if not $15 million. Adding his salary would balloon the OF budget to $33 million. That’s not going to happen.

Sure, Jamie Moyer and Brad Lidge both could come off the books, freeing up $18 million. However, you then need to replace Moyer and Lidge. Plus, you’ll likely need to throw some of that money at Jimmy Rollins to extend his deal. Oh, and Roy Halladay will eat up $10 million more than he is this year. However, using lesser priced rookie starters could help save $3-5 million needed to pay Werth.

Therefore, you have to make Werth’s contract work within current budget parameters.

Dominic Brown's cheap rookie salary could be key to keeping Jayson Werth in red pinstripes.

Trading Victorino would free up $7.5 million to give Werth. With just Ibanez and Brown making $12.5 million total, you suddenly have $12 million to pay Werth and stay within the $24.5 million budget of 2010. It says here the Phils would come up with the extra million to keep Werth if they deal Victorino.

Dealing the Flyin’ Hawaiian is not the ideal situation, and something Amaro would think twice about. Sure, with Rollins and Polanco hitting 1-2 in the lineup, Victorino is seemingly a hitter without a spot in the 0rder. Still, the team knows what he brings to the team in terms of speed and defense.

Phillies fans want a curtain call to Jayson Werth's first years in Philly. Will the team oblige?

Trading Ibanez is the most likely scenario, if the Phillies can find a buyer. Nobody will take his $12 million-plus salary. Not for a streaky hitter like Ibanez who usually has a 50-game tear each year with mediocrity the other 100 games each season.

However, would a team be willing to pay $5 million for Ibanez? You bet. That means the Phillies need to eat the rest of his $7.5 million salary. Going with those figures, the Phils would be on the hook for $15.5 million before Werth. That basically leaves $10 million for Werth in the first year of his “new deal.”

You need to figure a way to get him at least another $3 million in 2011.

Would he take it as a deferred amount? Would the Phillies find a way to come up with that money by counting on a Kyle Kendrick or Andrew Carpenter to take Moyer’s place?

As you can see, keeping Werth is not a sure thing. Nor is it far from a possibility.

With some ingenuity and maneuvering, Werth will still be in the Phillies lineup protecting Howard next year. As Amaro has shown is his pursuit of Halladay, he’ll do whatever it takes to make his team better within the confines of his salary budget.

Amaro, if you want people to stop complaining about Cliff Lee, find a way to keep Jayson Werth in Philly.

While it’s no surprise that Werth is likely playing his last year in Philly due to economics, we question everybody — including Werth himself — calling Brown “The Future.” He is a great prospect and very well could play at an All-Star caliber level in The Show in a few years. However, nobody should think Brown will take the place of Werth’s production next year.

He's Werth breaking the bank to keep in red pinstripes for years to come.

As Stark points out, Brown has barely played above single-A ball after suffering a fractured finger last June. Plenty of players have fizzeled out between Double-A and the big leagues. Hell, Werth said last spring he called Jason Donald “The Future.” Donald fell out of favor and is no longer considered a can’t-miss prospect while he toils in Cleveland’s camp.

The Phillies obviously better be careful with this move. The fact is Raul Ibanez comes off the books after 2011. Brown would be better equipped to join the Phillies next year and platoon with Ibanez. Meanwhile, they should keep Werth and just overpay their outfield for a year. In 2012, Werth’s contract will not be as big of a deal since Brown will be making the minimum.

The good news: your Philadelphia Phillies have two Top 100 prospects according to Baseball America’s 21st annual rankings. The bad news: The Fightins traded away four guys on the list in the last seven months.

Before anyone gets all riled up upon learning the identities of those on the list, just keep in mind these are rankings of prospects. Some will pan out and many others will not. In fact, a year ago players by the name of Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson made the list. This year, none of them are in the top 100.

Here are the Phillies who made the list: Dominic Brown (15) and Phillippe Aumont (93).

Dominic Brown is the top ranked Phillies prospect according to Baseball America.

Brown is up from being listed as the 48th best a year ago. Aumont, who came over in the Cliff Lee deal was no. 93 on the list in 2009 as well.

In listing the former Phillies farmhands who are on the list, let’s start with the man we gave up to get Lee — Jason Knapp, who comes in at no. 64. In essence, you could argue the Phils traded Knapp and the above former Top 100 prospects for Aumont and two other guys who have yet to crack the rankings.

The other former Phillies all were part of the Roy Halladay package: Travis d’Arnaud (81), Michael Taylor (29), and Kyle Drabek (25).

On paper, it looks like the Phillies have given up a lot to get Halladay. They did, but keep in mind two things.

First, Halladay is worth every player given up as he increases the Phillies chances of holding another parade this fall. The Phillies window is now, not three years from now.

Second, prospects are just that — prospects. Check back in a year to see if these guys are still climbing the rankings, or if they’ve fallen off the way Carrasco, Donald and Marson did.