So everybody seems a little freaked about the Ryan Howard contract stuff.
Don't be.
Relax.
Jim Salisbury puts this whole thing into perspective. He writes:
"Oh, what's that you say, he could bolt in November 2011? OK. That's four seasons away. The Phillies have won one World Series in 125 years and zero playoff games in the last 14. So pardon us if we don't break out in hives worrying about something that might - repeat, might - happen after the 2011 season.
"Don't buy all that stuff about the relationship's being irreparably fractured if the Phillies don't meet Howard's price. Money can have tremendous healing power."
Exactly. All this talk about how Howard is going to be so upset if he loses his hearing, if he doesn't get a multiyear extension immediately, is ridiculous. If he loses his hearing Wednesday and next winter the Phillies come to him with a multiyear extension he thinks is fair, he's going to sign.
Of course, word is Howard is looking for significantly more than the seven-year, $100 million contract extension Albert Pujols signed in 2004. Much more. So it's unknown if the Phillies and Howard can come to such an agreement. But the point is there is time to figure out things like that.
So relax.
*
A reporter asked Howard who is calling the shots on his side: he, his parents or his agent? Howard's family has gone through three agents in recent years. One of his former agents, Larry Reynolds, actually requested a trade for Howard before the 2005 season. Howard, who wouldn't answer questions about his contract situation, declined to answer.
"Where's the speculation coming from?" Howard asked. "I want to know. I'm trying to find out who's speculating about the speculations. I mean, there's some speculations going on."
*
There's a lot of talk about service time with Howard because it plays a huge role in these hearings.
He has 2 years, 145 days of service time. He also is in his first year of salary arbitration eligibility. He is seeking $10 million, which would be the highest salary ever awarded for a player to win a hearing. The Phillies have offered $7 million, which ties the most ever offered a player in his first year of arbitration eligibility.
Compare his situation to these three players:
Alfonso Soriano. He picked up $10 million from the Washington Nationals in 2006, the most ever awarded a player in an arbitration hearing. But he actually lost his hearing after seeking $12 million. He had more than five years of service time and was in his third year of arbitration.
Andruw Jones. He won a record $8.2 million from the Atlanta Braves in 2001. He had more than four years of service time and was in his second year of arbitration.
Miguel Cabrera. He won $7.4 million from the Florida Marlins in 2007. The Marlins had offered $6.7 million. He had almost four years of service time. He was in his first year of arbitration.
Howard has less service time than each of those three players. Soriano and Jones also were further along in the arbitration process. That could be a big point the Phillies make during their hearing Wednesday.
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Check out the photo slideshow from Day 2.
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Kris Benson is expected to be in camp today.
No word on Anna.
Comments (11)
Great stuff, Todd. Looks and sounds like Howard will hopefully shut my mouth this year about not being in shape.
Goosebumps...
Posted by John in LA | February 16, 2008 8:33 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 08:33
Great stuff, Todd. Looks and sounds like Howard will hopefully shut my mouth this year about not being in shape.
Goosebumps...
Posted by John in LA | February 16, 2008 8:33 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 08:33
Thanks Todd, maybe this will put this to bed.
John: meet you at the playoff games, by the Ashburn statue. Bring Mom, she is good luck. :)
Posted by jimmymack | February 16, 2008 8:54 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 08:54
thanks todd. good stuff. howard looks like he's gonna MASH this year.
hey, you can vote on his arbitration here. The $10M figure is winning right now.
http://mlbfleecefactor.com/2008/02/16/ryan-howards-arbitration-date-nears/
Posted by ed | February 16, 2008 9:29 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 09:29
PS: Any word yet on Anna?
Posted by ed | February 16, 2008 10:34 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 10:34
Todd, I disagree with your assessment of the Ryan Howard issue. He certainly will resent the Phillies, but he's smart enough not to feed into it before the arbitration decision. He is with 2yrs plus service time a better player than Soriano, Jones and Cabrera were with their seniority. People keep saying what Pujols made at a similar point in his arbitration eligibility, however, Howard exceeded Pujols' HR and RBI output and was an MVP. Also, $7MM then (2001 or 2002) is certainly not the same value in 2008. It is obviously less, so that is a very SOFT arguement. In addition, how can he not resent and hold the Phillies accountable for holding his career up while they held staged construction welcomings with Jim Thome. He was ready the year they got Thome but they wanted to milk a NAME to sell tickets in the Vet's finale. They hurt him badly delaying his call up, by taking at least two years of his career from him. Now they have had their cake and are trying to eat it to. They don't want to pay him what he deserves so they use the service rule against him, when they are responsible (not him) for his lack of service time!!! He will make it tough to be here for the time he has left, they can't win without him, and he will leave 2011 or sooner depending how uncomfortable he can make it for the Phillies unless they treat him like the exception he has already proven to be.
Posted by PhillyRaider | February 16, 2008 11:20 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 11:20
I hope the Phillies' management reads your blog. Please note that they THREW millions away on a number of losers with no accomplishments. They should pay up the additional $3 million to make Ryan a happy player and one whom we desperately need for now and the future.
Posted by philliephan | February 16, 2008 11:30 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 11:30
THANK YOU, TODD!!!!
Posted by Norma | February 16, 2008 11:31 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 11:31
Just remember Pujos can make a 3-6-3 double play to get out of a potential big inning and Howard can't, always putting a runner in scoring position on a ground ball to first!
Posted by Steve D | February 16, 2008 11:46 AM
Posted on February 16, 2008 11:46
It seems the Ryan Howard situation is really a hot-button issue with many Phillies fans. I agree that it makes sense to reward Ryan for the exceptional player as well as ambassador he has been, not necessarily using the hard and fast arbitration rules that have already been set. I think he is an exception to the rule...he appears to be a quality person, player and teammate and the Phillies are very fortunate with the unforseen progress he has made in his short career. I think it safe to say that NOBODY...not a fan, a scout, or even Ryan himself...thought that Ryan would become the player he is and produce the stats he has produced. There is a definite difference between blieiving he was going to be a very good player and believing he would be one of the best in all of baseball. With that, I don't believe the Phillies were intentionally keeping him the minors for the sole purpose of signing Thome to be a "name" player for the opening of CBP, although that is partly why Thome was signed. Ryan certainly has holes in his game and they were surely more pronounced 4-5 years ago, so perhaps it wasn't such a "no-brainer" decision to call him up to the majors 4-5 years ago. I also think it is not fair to compare Ryan's situation with Albert Pujols' of a few years ago because in many ways Pujols is better than Ryan. That's not a knock on Ryan so much as it a statement of Pujols' extraordinary skills. I would be curious to see the results of an honest poll of managers, players and scouts as to which 1st Baseman they would choose if only one could be picked. My guess is that Albert would probably receive the majority of votes (again, this is not a slight on Ryan.) So while inflation should be taken into account, I don't believe ryan should be given a contract significantly higher than what Pujols received. In the end, I hope the Phils negotiate with Ryan as the exception he is and offer more than what standard baseball practice suggests. I also hope Ryan is not so greedy as to expect an A-Rod type of deal...because NO player is worth that amount of money. I believe a player should "get what he can" but I also believe common sense and reason should prevail.
Posted by Eric | February 16, 2008 3:03 PM
Posted on February 16, 2008 15:03
Steve D hits it on the head. I saw arbitration this year and then go for the long extension. 7 year 130 mil with bonus's
Posted by Bumblebee | February 16, 2008 3:31 PM
Posted on February 16, 2008 15:31