Ryan Howard wins $10 million

If you followed my logic, they would have not signed Thome to that ridiculous contract and brought Howard up early. Maybe you misread the part where I said "moved Ryan Howard up to the big stage in 2003." I didn't mean trade Howard, I meant never sign Thome or trade Thome after one year and move Howard up to play for the Phillies.

 

Yes, but they were playing SavingMoneyBall. They decided to calibrate his ascent to the majors with the beginning of his most productive years so that they could have those productive seasons while he was in pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible years.

 

Look, it's Phillies management. Which is two things: Cheap and incompetent. And not necessarily in that order.

 

Somebody with Howard's build should be looking multi-year ASAP. Fat men shouldn't play it year-to-year.

 

Oh, I did misread, but then he probably would not have been great early on, and by now would be ready to walk as a FA. He would be as valuable as Texeira is to Texas.

 

exACTLY. I get a huge kick out of this talk that Howard is looking for A-Rod type money. Sorry buddy but you're a fat first baseman who is already old for his experience. He's 28, this is as good as it's going to get. And it's pretty good. But he's already an all-or-nothing guy, he's not an asset on defense, he's got weight issues and I'll bet he's a DH by the time he's eligible for free agency after the 2011 season, at which point he'll already be 32.

The Phils already messed up once by giving six years to Thome and his bad back and weighty body. No need to do it again. If Howard doesn't like it, well, he's still going to make $40 million over the next four seasons. He'll get by.

 

He's already more Cecil Fielder than Arod.

 

I'm sorry but I just can't agree with the idea that Pujols got a crappy deal when he got seven years and $100 million along with a 2011 option. Nothing wrong with striking while the iron is hot and remaining where you're comfortable, especially when you're a big bulky guy who, ahem, looks old for his age and when you're a sourpuss who would take to the scrutiny of a big market like an ice cream sundae in hell.

If he's still putting up monster numbers in 2011, he can go back out and get another $100 million deal because he'll only be "32."

And I think the only thing the Jeter and Howard cases have in common is their agent. Jeter wasn't even 25 yet, had two rings, was a pretty good athlete who played a premium position (heh) and was well on his way to the captaincy. Howard is 28, limited to first base and very likely to take the Mo Vaughn career path. There is no way he gets a 10-year deal, now or after the 2011 season.