Devan Kaney is back talking Philly sports on a new podcast with former Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth

Former Phillies All-Star Jayson Werth and former 94 WIP host Devan Kaney have started a podcast.

The first episode of Werth Talking About was released Thursday. The hosts discussed topics ranging from Werth’s passion for horse racing to their defining Philly sports moments — and whether the Phillies have what it takes to make it to the World Series this year. They promised to “tell it like it is” and “keep it real” in their weekly Thursday episodes.

Werth, who played for the Phillies for four seasons, helped lead the team to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009 before signing a whopping seven-year, $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals after the 2010 season. Though his departure was a major disappointment for many Phillies fans, Werth assured that he is impartial these days.

“I had some great years in Philadelphia,” he said. “I played on great teams, won a World Series, and nobody can take that away from me. … I can be a Phillie, I can be a Nat, but these days, I identify as a horse racing owner.”

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For Kaney, Werth was a welcome surprise voice for the podcast.

“I was absolutely not expecting Jason Werth,” Kaney, who replaced Howard Eskin as WIP’s Eagles sideline host in 2024 before being laid off in March, told The Inquirer. “We’re one episode in, and he just has so much lore. He’ll just drop the most insane stories, and it’s awesome to work with him.”

Though out of the baseball limelight for the past few years, Werth is no stranger to podcasting, having served as a cohost of Off the Rail, a show discussing the world of horse racing with fellow former MLB player Shawn Kelley.

As the hosts got acquainted in the debut episode, stories bounced from Werth’s horses to his recent appearance in a Lakers jersey at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and, of course, each of their perspectives on the Phillies’ 2008 World Series win.

Despite now being a horse racing enthusiast and accomplished owner — Werth’s horse, Dornoch, won the 2024 Belmont Stakes — he shared some analytical thoughts on his former team. Werth, who retired from baseball in 2018, offered a wealth of insider knowledge after playing in Washington with current Phillies stars Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. The latter sparked debate over his status as an elite player.

“I think Bryce is right in the middle of his prime,” Werth said. “If he can stay healthy over the next few years, we’re talking about a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”

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The Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball since replacing manager Rob Thomson with interim Don Mattingly in April. Werth remains optimistic about the team’s chances the rest of the way but knows from experience that it won’t be easy — even if he believes the team is better than most.

“I would say this to the people out there that say, ‘Oh, this team’s not as good,’” Werth said. “This team, year over year, has made it to the playoffs, won the division, and found a way to get in. So this is a quality team if it keeps doing what it’s supposed to do. … Winning is hard. Everybody should know that. Winning is hard.”

As the Phillies move deeper into the season — and the baseball world descends on Philly next month — Kaney said the show will continue to evolve.

“We’re going to start incorporating a lot more guests and active players,” Kaney said. “I know we’re going to do a lot of fun stuff around the MLB All-Star Game here in Philly.”

Werth Talking About is produced by the ALLCITY Network and PHLY, which also produces Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship’s podcast, Exciting Mics. The show is working with the Major League Baseball Players Association to plan on-site episodes and in-person recordings as it grows.

“What we provide in our podcast is a unique perspective,” Kaney said. “It’s not attacking, it’s not hot takes, it’s not anything overly negative, but more so kind of peeling back the curtain on what happens behind the scenes.”

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Kaney, a longtime Phillies fan, also hopes the show provides some optimism for fellow fans as the hosts draw connections between the current team and the ones Werth played on.

“If I was part of this Phillies team, I would be so sick of hearing about the magical 2008 Phillies just because they’re the last team that won,” Kaney said jokingly. “This is a good team, and we’re going to tie both of them together and find the similarities and differences between those teams.

“It’s going to be something that’s really fun for us.”