LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Right fielder Jayson Werth agreed Sunday to a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals, a huge deal announced even before the winter meetings officially began.

The 31-year-old, who helped the Phillies win the 2008 World Series title, hit .296 this year in his fourth and final season with the Phillies. He had an NL-high 46 doubles, 27 homers and 85 RBIs.

"It kind of exemplifies phase two of the Washington Nationals' process," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "Phase one was scouting and player development, building the farm system. ... Now it's the time to go to the second phase and really compete for division titles and championships."

Werth moves from the team that has won four straight NL East titles to one that finished last this year at 69-93 and hasn't had a winning record since 2003 -- the franchise's next-to-last season as the Montreal Expos.

His agreement was announced two days after the Nationals' cleanup hitter, Adam Dunn, left for a $56 million, four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.

Werth's deal was negotiated by agent Scott Boras, who also negotiated big-money agreements with the Nationals for the last two No. 1 picks in the amateur draft, pitcher Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and catcher-outfielder Bryce Harper this year.

"We think he's going to be a big piece of the puzzle," Rizzo said. "We certainly have more holes to fill. We had more work to do, and we're certainly aggressively going on from here and beyond."

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson seemed to think Werth got the better end of the deal.

"It makes some of our contracts look pretty good," Alderson said. "That's a long time and a lot of money. I thought they were trying to reduce the deficit in Washington."

Boras said talks began just before Thanksgiving when Nationals owners Ted Lerner and Mark Lerner met with Werth at Boras' office in Newport Beach, Calif. The sides reached a preliminary agreement Friday.