The Phillies decided that Ryan Howard was worth it and renewed his contract and now Howard would receive a salary of $900,000. This move was made after the Phillies and Howard were unable to agree on a long-term contract.

This salary Howard has been offered matches the highest base salary on a one-year deal for an arbitration-eligible player. The St Louis Cardinals had offered Albert Pujols a one-year contract in 2003 worth $900,000. This contract also included a $50,000 bonus for making the All Star team that Pujols made.

Howard had a salary of $355,000 last year and said he was disappointed he and the Phillies couldn’t come to a long-term deal. However, he was ready for the season to begin.

Howard has now set a record for the highest salary on a one-year deal for a player who has less than two years of playing time in the Major Leagues. In 1999 and 2000, the Chicago Cubs gave Kerry Wood $690,000. Wood had only 169 days of Major League duty.

Phillies assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Howard’s contract renewal was fair. This renewal took place during the 10-day period when teams are busy renewing the contracts of players who are on the team roster but have not yet signed on.

Last season, Howard hit .313 with 58 home runs and 149 RBIs. In the offseason, he changed agents and is now represented by Casey Close.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *