Phillies Reportedly Extend Ryan Howard for 5 Years

[Ramp]

5 years, $125mil

rumors circulating
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Ryan Howard will remain in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform through the 2016 season after agreeing to a five-year extension worth an average of $25 million per year.

The slugging first baseman has agreed to a $125 million extension that will kick in starting with the 2012 season. If Howard reaches incentive clauses and the team picks up its option for the 2017 season, Howard could earn as much as $138 million.

Howard will earn $20 million in each of the 2012 and 2013 seasons and $25 million per season from 2014-16. The Phillies hold a club option for the 2017 season that is worth $23 million with a $10 million buyout.

Howard, who is 6-feet-4 and weighs 255 pounds, also received a limited no-trade clause in the contract.

Howard, 30, has 225 career home runs in 750 games. This season he is hitting .275 with three homers and 16 RBIs.

His 225 home runs are good for fifth in club history behind only Mike Schmidt (548), Del Ennis (259), Pat Burrell (251), and Chuck Klein (243). His .583 slugging percentage is the best in Phillies history.

He was named the National League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in back-to-back seasons (2005-'06).

In 2009, Howard became just the fourth player in baseball history to boast at least 40 home runs and 130-plus RBIs in four consecutive seasons, joining Babe Ruth (seven straight seasons), Ken Griffey Jr. (four) and Sammy Sosa (four).

He also reached 200 home runs the fastest of any player, achieving the milestone in just his 658th game.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5137456

[Party]

2017

!!!!

[Swifty]

Crazy to give him free agent money when you have him under contract for another season.

Also, if I'm a Phillie fan, I'm pretty ticked they find the cash to do this but not keep Halladay/Lee together for at least a season.

[kylekash]

Didn't they start negotiating with Lee but he wanted a 6-7 yr deal like CC? I think that's why they went out and made the trade for Halladay because they knew they could lock him up for a more club friendly 3-4 years.

[Swifty]

Yeah, I'm not saying give Lee the extension, but don't play the fiscal responsibility card and then throw it to the wind 3 weeks into the season. Lee and Halladay could both be Phillies now, but the Phillies said they couldn't afford it.

Lee probably wasn't going to be a Phillie in 2011, but if you have a chance to have Lee and Halladay in the same rotation, even for one season, I think you owe it to yourself to do it, championships don't come around all that often, and 2 years from now when the Phillies are really really old, I think that's going to be validated ten-fold.

[Chewford]

That's an insane amount of money, but I guess when you can afford it, you wanna lock up a guy whose going to drive in 120+ runs and hit a shit ton of homers year in and year out.

This just goes to show that all you need to know how to do in life is hit a ball really hard with a stick.

[MiamiHomer]

That's an insane amount of money, but I guess when you can afford it, you wanna lock up a guy whose going to drive in 120+ runs and hit a shit ton of homers year in and year out.

This just goes to show that all you need to know how to do in life is hit a ball really hard with a stick.

With a stick!

[Chewford]

It has to be hitting it with a stick, being able to run and catch an ellipsoid shaped ball only nets you at most $47.5 million.

Hitting a ball really hard with a stick gets more money than being the CEO of General Electric. That is impressive.

[MiamiHomer]

My reference was to this PS3 commercial.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tiMFoVzz4U[/ame]

[dgriot]

That's an insane amount of money, but I guess when you can afford it, you wanna lock up a guy whose going to drive in 120+ runs and hit a shit ton of homers year in and year out.

There's also the PR factor, given he's the homegrown face of the franchise during its best era in its 100+ year history.

I wonder if they expect to get more revenue over the next couple years via ticket/parking hikes, advertising, radio/TV rights, more merchandise on a national level, etc. or if they're pretty much at their annual salary limit now. That'll factor into how risky this deal is during the last 3 or so years.

[Metes]

There's also the PR factor, given he's the homegrown face of the franchise during its best era in its 100+ year history.

I wonder if they expect to get more revenue over the next couple years via ticket/parking hikes, advertising, radio/TV rights, more merchandise on a national level, etc. or if they're pretty much at their annual salary limit now. That'll factor into how risky this deal is during the last 3 or so years.

Yes, it also has everything to do with all of this.

[Party]

Yeah, I'm not saying give Lee the extension, but don't play the fiscal responsibility card and then throw it to the wind 3 weeks into the season. Lee and Halladay could both be Phillies now, but the Phillies said they couldn't afford it.

Lee probably wasn't going to be a Phillie in 2011, but if you have a chance to have Lee and Halladay in the same rotation, even for one season, I think you owe it to yourself to do it, championships don't come around all that often, and 2 years from now when the Phillies are really really old, I think that's going to be validated ten-fold.

Fiscal responsibility with keeping Howard onboard in mind. Gotta figure keeping Howard for the rest of his productive career has been on their list of things to do.
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DG, MLB merchandise revenue is shared 30 ways. Sorry to nitpick.

[emkayseven]

stupid fucking deal

[Party]

You've been a negative Nancy lately with these long term deals.

[Beef]

He's David Samson