Ryan Howard’s Contract, Or Lack Thereof
Ryan Howard was rookie of the year in 2005, and he followed that up with National League MVP in 2006. He hasn’t been rewarded for this with a beefy contract, and he’s on track to make (only) about 1 million in 2007. The Phillies are following standard MLB procedure with young players, waiting until Ryan Howard is arbitration eligible.
Those are the facts. Now we can get on with the speculation.
Howard Eskin keeps making the point that Ryan Howard needs to go through standard contract procedure just like everyone else. He also keeps insisting that the Phillies are doing the right thing by waiting until Howard is arbitration eligible before rewarding him with a new contract. My question for you is whether Eskin and the Phillies are correct.
In particular, is there any reason to be concerned about potential negative psychological effects that this could have on Howard? Various comments to the media made by Rybo make him sound a bit disappointed and underappreciated. Could this have negative effects on his performance this season?
Ryan Howard is no ordinary player. Should the Phillies treat him like one, or should they act now to give the best young player since Pujols the confidence he needs to maintain a positive attitude going forward?
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Posted on February 25, 2007 by Micah | Filed Under Phillies, Philadelphia
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It didn’t seem to bother Pujols when the same thing happened to him, or for that matter, any other player in Rybo’s position in the history of the league. The fact is that the Phils control Howard for the next couple of years, and he’ll get his this offseason.
I totally understand the process.
I’m just wondering, given the disenchanted murmurs coming out of the Ryan Howard camp, whether he’ll be disgruntled at all this season.
I just heard they have until Friday to give him a new contract, or he will make 380,000 for the year. Which, is a lot of money, but not as much as he should make. If I was Ryan Howard, if they don’t give me an extension, I’m playing with a chip on my shoulder and leaving the first chance I get.
Howard has absolutely no leverage what-so-ever to demand a multi-year deal for this season. None. Let me repeat that: NONE. This is part of the labor situation in baseball. The flip-side for Howard (and all others) is the guaranteed contract. Now, he does have a good negotiating position: he will get more money than anyone else IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL, for a player in his position (yes, he will get more than King Albert got when he was in the same situation.) Sometime between next November and next April “Mr. Million Dollar Smile” will sign the single largest player contract in the history of Philadelphia sports. Bank on it.
Usually the Phillies’s front office is to blame for making a star player angry (see Curt Schilling or Scott Rolen). But in this case, I think the front office came more than halfway to make Howard happy. There is no argument that Howard has put up tremendous numbers the past two seasons, and has sold a great deal of tickets. But he still has less than two years time in the majors.
The Phillies gave him a contract that was higher than any player with his time in the league has EVER recieved. That should not be taken lightly.
Howard is going to get his big payday. It will make what Chase Utley is making seem like chump change. The Phillies realize that he is a special player and they know that having him in red pinstripes can only bring good things to the team.
Usually the Phillies screw up a player like Howard, but in this case it seems like Howard was the one who was being difficult.
I just hope that in the end, Howard spends his whole career in Philadelphia. This “slight” should not affect Howard this season and probably will not affect future contract negotiations. Baseball is a business…Howard admitted as much. His time will come.
As usual, the Phillies will try to get everything out of a player they can for the lowest price. Ryan Howard understands that baseball is a business so if the Phillies do not come up with a good financial package after the time frame for baseball player litigation than one can be assured that if George Steinbrenner has his way than the pin strips and the check book of the Yankees will be open for Howard.
In Philadelphia, teams can throw around Howard while in New York is would be highly doubtful.
As usual, Phillies management and Montgomery will blow it and Howard will be singing: “I Love New York”!