The Zo Zone

Howard will lose his case, so I hope they can meet somewhere in the middle before they meet the arbiter, where the Phillies have to explain why he isn't worth his number.

There is no precedent that will award a player with his strengths and weaknesses $10 million per season.

To look at it another way, the Phillies' offer is what Pujols received in his first arbitration in 2004. Since I'd rather have Pujols based on his track record to that point than Howard's, the Phillies' offer seems fair to me.

Think Pujols is the better player of the two, but Pujols had not won an MVP at that point in his career, and still had nowehere close to Howard's HR and RBI totals, not to mention the salary increases since '04.

I think meeting somewhere in the middle ($8.5) before arbitration would be a good fit.

Why don't they just get rid of Bruntlett and bring back Nunez. Nunez is arguably the best defensive third baseman in the league. He won a handful of games last year for the Phillies with his glove alone, especially with Moyer on the mound. I know Bruntlett has played 3B base in the past but most of his time has been at SS and 2B, not 3B...and I don't feel comfortable with Dobbs or Helms (the worst defensive 3B in the game) out there late in games. If Nunez would stop trying to switch hit and just stick to batting from the right side, I think his offense numbers would be as good if not better than Bruntlett.

Howard's asking price is just too high. His agent is trying to make up for the fact Howard is 28 and won't have as many opportunities for the huge payday. I hope they meet in the middle.

I agree with Bob. $8.5 mil. is MORE than enough. If Ryan's not careful, he (and his agent) will price himself out of a job in a couple of years. Unless he keeps up his MVP numbers, no one will be able to afford him when he reaches free-agency.

I don't think Ryan Howard will lose at 10 million. He is a more prolific HR hitter and RBI man than Pujols. No one ever lost arbitration for striking out too much. Also considering his age and the extra arbitration yrs. He deserves it and probably will get it.
Howard had an "off year" last year which is better than 99.5% of the hitters bad years.

Don't be so sure that Ryan Howard will lose at $10 million. Carlos Pena signed today for 3 years at almost $25 million. You think Howard will make less than Pena? Alfonse Soriano got $10 million, and other than stolen bases is not a more prolfic offensive force than Howard.

We should all wish Ryan the best. The Phillies are swimming in cash. They expected this, they are just trying to lowball, again.

Go Ryan! Go $10 million! Go Phils!

Oh, my misguided brethren. Today, Rick Ankiel after 1 year as an outfielder with 11 homeruns and 39 RBI's avoided arbitration with a $900,000 contract with incentives to drive it higher.

Our boy Ryan Howard had a Rookie of the Year followed by an MVP season and was rewarded with $900,000 with no incentives. So my misguided low IQ friends, you may continue to discuss intelligently why Jayson Werth should earn twice what Ryan Howard earned last year.

There is a blog on the American Association of Retarded Citizens for you to exhibit your enlightened views.

Just a thought here..Below is a quote I just read from an AP article today from Dave Campbell in Minnesota...I read this before I saw Howard's figures and groaned for the Fightins.

"Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau avoided arbitration Friday by agreeing to a $7.4 million, one-year contract. Morneau, the American League's Most Valuable Player in 2006, received a raise of nearly $3 million from the $4.5 million he made last year while hitting .271 with 31 home runs and 111 RBIs.

Though he matched his MVP season in power, he dropped 50 points on his average. He's not eligible for free agency until after the 2010 season."

If Morneau got 7.4 I think the 7 million that the Phillies are offering isn't doing to hold up at the end of the day.

Well, the cheap bastard Phillies are at it again. Jason Morneau signs for $7.4 million while Howard signs for $900,000. Jayson Werth gets 1.7 million while Howard gets $900,000. Rick Ankiel after one year as an outfielder gets $900,000 with incentives to boot while Ryan Howard gets $900,000.

I can't wait for you morons to propose 6 years at $445,000 per year because you feel the Phillies have no money and Howard deserves nothing more. Come on, morons!

Maybe we'll save money and win the championship with that idiot Manuel as our manager. That way we can be cheap and the gold standard like the Eagles.

what's with the people complaining about ryan howard making $900,000 last year? he had the opportunity to take a multi-million dollar one-year deal from the phils and he didn't think it was enough so he refused it. the phils then renewed his contract which is their right. the phils didn't have to offer him the multi-million dollar deal. i'm not sure why howard would turn it down as a few million is obviously more than 900K even if it's not as much as you want. i'm sure the agent had some kind of justification for it. but it was howard's choice.

This is pathetic...talk about baseball and not about whether Ryan Howard is getting screwed by possibly making a paltry $7 million a year. Which is only about 6.95 million more per year than the rest of us earn working real jobs. My heart bleeds for him. Maybe we can set up a charity.

Why on earth are the Phillies playing hardball with Ryan Howard? Please give me a logical explanation rather than because they can. With all due respect to Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, Howard makes this team go and without his presence in the lineup we are toast. Give this man his due and quit screwing around before you really upset him and he follows other former Phillie stars like Scott Rolen and Curt Schilling out of town.

Mike - if you don't like the talk of salaries in sports, maybe you should turn to the indoor lacrosse league? I can't stand the fans that think this is 1940 - it is what it is.

The reality of the situation is that the $3 million gap looks horrible for the Phillies - especially when you look at what Cabrera, Texiera, and Morneau got. I'd rather have Howard over Morneau, and Cabrera and Texiera got 11.4 and 12+ million respectively. The $10 million will be $13 next year if they don't lock him up.

If they run Howard out of town...

$10,000,000 divided by 199 strikeouts is just over $50,000 a strikeout.

Nice work if you can get it.

Greedy ****.

In his first arb year, Pujols asked for 10.5, the Cards countered at 7.

Ended up signing 7/100.

Neither side's numbers are out of line.

There's a reason arb hearings don't occur immediately. Gives the parties time to negotiate.

Typical Phillies. They should split the difference + and settle for 9 million. They will overpay for subpar talent and then split hairs with a good guy like Howard. Just one reason for one championship in 124 years. Please sell the team!!!

you dont pay a close to 30 overweight iron gloved 1b 10 million in his first year eligible for arbitration and certainly not after his average drops 40 points and he hits almost 20 fewer homers not to mention breaks the all time season strikeout record....you think salarys are nuts now...start giving in to these overpaid whiners and soon even nose bleed seats will be 30$ because you have so much dead/squandered money on your books because the average fan doesnt look at the big picture and doesnt know smart spending and salary control even in a league with no cap are as important as the draft or free agencey when making your team playoff caliber...that is without the worst collapse in baseball history...we have the mets more then the phillies to thank for last years post season appearence...but if you call it an appearence it would mean by default the team actully showed up against the rockies which for whoever watched the series knows isnt true

Who gives a crap?

There is no salary cap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you gotta give the guy his money. he's one of the best players in the league. look at his frickin' numbers!

http://reclinergm.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/phillies-position-analysis-first-base/

The one thing all of you are missing is that Howard has less experience than Cabrera, Morneau and Texiera and that this is only his 1st year of arbitration. Just like the inflated salaries are a part of the game, the arbitration process is part of the game and it is a process all players have to go through. You are right on the open market Howard makes more than all of those guys, but he is not on the open market. Why don't you start comparing what those guys got in there first year of arbitration to what Howard was offered. Howard will blow there salaries away. Howard is an amazing player and we need him to be a Phillies throughout is career, but I wish he spent half the time he does arguing what he should get paid on trying to figure out how to cut down is stikeouts.