Ryan Howard Signs Three Year Contract with Phillies
February 8, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under News, Transactions
Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies no longer has to live year to year with his contract. The slugger agreed to a three-year contract with the Phillies that will pay him at least $54 million.
In the second and third years of the contract, Howard can earn a bonus $1 million by winning the NL MVP. If he finishes in second place in the MVP voting, his consolation prize is $500K.
In arbitration, Howard was asking for $18 million and while he will only make $15 million this season, the long term security was obviously worth the dip in pay for the 2009 season.
To say Howard doesn’t this contract would be disingenuous. Over the last three seasons, he’s been one of the best sluggers in the National League. In 2008, Howard hit 48 homers and drove in 146 RBIs. Oh and he helped the Phillies win the 2008 World Series title.
In three years, a then 32-year-old Howard will hit the free agent market and will likely be the biggest catch of the offseason. Until then, Philadelphia will try to add to their trophy collection.
the $54 million 3 yr. contract offered to ryan howard should be sliced in half do to the rest of the country hurting from the recession and unemployment figures sky rocketing.if he were to accept this contract along w/ other extremely overpaid professional athletes i would find that to be outrageously wrong and totally unacceptable.so as the saying goes what goes around comes around in other words karma will catch up w/ you.