Ryan Howard wins

[remember_the_fightins]

Not to mention the Phils were just plain stupid to let this go to arbitration in the first place. Sure, cases are usually ruling in favor of the ballblubs, but any idiot can see someone with Howards numbers, who in an "off-year" still hits 47 home runs and misses a second RBI title only because Halliday got an extra game to play, should command twice that and more, easily. So why take the chance. What the Phillies blew is not just an extra three million to spend at the trade deadline under their self-imposed salary cap, but there last chance to sign Howard long term at a moderate price, because in winning arbitration he's raised the bar on what that long term deal will now cost. So at the price of three million this year, the stingy Phils, who were obviously not looking beyond Feb 20th on this one, guaranteed they will be paying much, much more in years to come.

If they were smart (which I'm wondering about now) they don't make this mistake again. They need to get a deal in place before the season starts, because even if Howard has another "off" year, they go to arbitration in '09, they could be paying 15 million or more.

Hey Don - What's up?
:bowdown:

Couldn't have said it better myself. No way they should have let this go to arbitration. They missed a chance to lock him up at a bargain price, now his longterm future with the Phillies is in serious jeopardy. But what else would you expect from this front office?

[Androctus]

Why take the chance. Its really long odds that Howard's just going to go belly up. He showed up in spring training in better shape than he has been the past two years. He's got a terrific mindset. He stops his car to go play wiffleball with kids. He smiles and he hits monster home runs, the poster child any ballclub would give their right arm to have. Why screw that up. Why take a chance trying to nickel and dime it. Amaro needs to swallow his pride and animosity at losing in arbitration, he and Gillick and the owners need to get together and have this guy signed before opening day, before he hits a single home run. If they go to arbitration next year, it will not be pretty. If he's not signed by the end of this year they had better just trade him, cause they will lose him and get nothing when he's eligible for free agency.

[tmchssc]

Don't you think in a way that this one year deal might have a positive side for the phils? WHat if Howard does have a bad year, what if he has even more strikeouts this year? WHat if he gets injured? If his numbers drop off, and they do go to arbitration again, the phils would have ammo for their side. Since he has two more years before free agency, he could come out of next years arbitration with the same or less money. Of course, the opposite could happen and Howard would have another good year, then the phils will be in a hard spot. THey have to sign him to a longer term contract or this kind of stuff will go on for the next two years and really ruin any kind of good relationship they would have with HOward.

[donzblock]

Not to mention the Phils were just plain stupid to let this go to arbitration in the first place. Sure, cases are usually ruling in favor of the ballblubs, but any idiot can see someone with Howards numbers, who in an "off-year" still hits 47 home runs and misses a second RBI title only because Halliday got an extra game to play, should command twice that and more, easily. So why take the chance. What the Phillies blew is not just an extra three million to spend at the trade deadline under their self-imposed salary cap, but there last chance to sign Howard long term at a moderate price, because in winning arbitration he's raised the bar on what that long term deal will now cost. So at the price of three million this year, the stingy Phils, who were obviously not looking beyond Feb 20th on this one, guaranteed they will be paying much, much more in years to come.

If they were smart (which I'm wondering about now) they don't make this mistake again. They need to get a deal in place before the season starts, because even if Howard has another "off" year, they go to arbitration in '09, they could be paying 15 million or more.

Hey Don - What's up?
:bowdown:

The former and present master of time and space and second most prominent BIT player makes a magnificent return. And the classic shortsightedness of the Phils is Exhibit A in their ARSEnal of Stupidity.

[Androctus]

Not to mention the Phils were just plain stupid to let this go to arbitration in the first place. Sure, cases are usually ruling in favor of the ballblubs, but any idiot can see someone with Howards numbers, who in an "off-year" still hits 47 home runs and misses a second RBI title only because Halliday got an extra game to play, should command twice that and more, easily. So why take the chance. What the Phillies blew is not just an extra three million to spend at the trade deadline under their self-imposed salary cap, but there last chance to sign Howard long term at a moderate price, because in winning arbitration he's raised the bar on what that long term deal will now cost. So at the price of three million this year, the stingy Phils, who were obviously not looking beyond Feb 20th on this one, guaranteed they will be paying much, much more in years to come.

If they were smart (which I'm wondering about now) they don't make this mistake again. They need to get a deal in place before the season starts, because even if Howard has another "off" year, they go to arbitration in '09, they could be paying 15 million or more.

Hey Don - What's up?
:bowdown:

[donzblock]

The Phillie front office will overlook the fact that Ryan Howard deserved to win at arbitration and will probably blame him for the team's failure to make any deals on Trade Deadline Day. Gillick/Amaro will plead empty pockets and point the finger at greedy Ryan. Gillick/Amaro will not acknowledge that the Phillies have never made any significant deals on Trade Deadline Day, and they will not acknowledge that their cap is self-imposed, and they will not acknowledge that they are not in the business of striving for championships.

[tmchssc]

I heard today that Ryan Howard won his arbitration case with the Phils.
what's everyone's thoughts on this? I think that it never should have gone to arbitration. The Phils should have given Ryan what he wanted. He wasn't asking for that much in consideration of his "career" and how he related to similar players. It would have generated a lot of good will between Howard and the Phils and would have helped in the long run when it comes time to sign him to a longer contract. THree million doesn't seem like that much of a difference in today's market