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Howard Not Sweating Recent Extensions
Over the past few months, Troy Tulowitzki, Miguel Cabrera, Evan Longoria, Hanley Ramirez, and Ryan Braun have been locked up to long-term contracts. There appears to be no such deal in place for Phillies slugger Ryan Howard. Though the two teams have talked long-term over the past two off-seasons, they aren't particularly close on terms.
The difference, of course, is that Tulowitzki, Longoria, Ramirez, and Braun all signed before reaching arbitration. Cabrera went to arbitration once with the Marlins, taking home $7.4MM before being traded to the Tigers, where he signed a monstrous extension. However, there is no reason to believe that Howard will get similar treatment. The former MVP is three years Cabrera's senior.
While Howard's potential free agency pay day has been slightly hindered by his extended time in the minor leagues, he should still make out well before then. In his first year of arbitration eligibility, he took home a record $10MM. He'll face arbitration before each of the next three seasons before he reaches free agency after the 2011 season, at the age of 32.
He could rack up over $50MM prior to that, though (counting this year's bounty). And at 32, he might be able to land a decent sum, likely with an AL team to split time at first base and DH. Howard himself says it best: "I've always said it's something that you can't control. The only thing I can control is what I do on the field. If it ever happens, whenever it happens, it happens."
Joe Pawlikowski is a writer for River Ave. Blues, a Yankees blog, and can be reached here.
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If the only thing Ryan can control is what he does on the field, perhaps he should set about doing that and stop chirping about his contract.
He's not going to see that big payday or those record setting arbitration rulings if he doesn't start hitting over .180.
Posted by: nothingman | May 18, 2008 at 07:23 AM
For a guy who's on pace to strikeout more than 200 times this year, he's awfully mouthy about this. Maybe he shou;d "control what he does on the field" and actually start hitting. And there's no way any NL team will want him with his body type. He got a late start, and he'll burn out pretty quickly.
Posted by: FineHamAbounds | May 18, 2008 at 10:27 AM
As a Phillie's fan, I am starting to think once he gets above the mendoza line they should start shopping him. I could see the Yankees overpaying for him at the deadline with Hank at the helm.
Posted by: phightin'phils | May 18, 2008 at 11:26 AM
phightin', is that a joke? The Phillies are in the middle of a race, you want to sell low on an elite power hitter right now with no replacement? Who exactly do you want from the Yankees, to buy low on their pitching prospects, who weren't available for Santana by the way?
I can see not wanting to re-sign him...but that is crazy
Howard's been struggling terribly and still has his 10 HRs. He's been letting the ball get deeper recently and is poised to get really hot here. He'll get his 45-130
Posted by: wayne gomes | May 19, 2008 at 02:37 PM
Fineham, as far as him being "mouthy," he was directly asked a question about Braun's deal by a media member. He gave a standard, policitcally correct answer.
What you would have him do? Say "no comment," which would instantly become a story in both the Inquirer and Daily News (both have a tendency to sensationalize any quote they get, see D. McNabb), leading to a bunch of speculation that he's unhappy with management? He did the right thing, and now it's not a story
Posted by: wayne gomes | May 19, 2008 at 02:43 PM