G. hit it on the head that the Phillies need to pay Ryan Howard. The Phillies are once again trying to be cheap and save some money. That’s a great idea, it’s always fun to be thrifty with probably the best power hitter in the Major Leagues.
This guy is all over the Phils marketing materials and he puts rear ends in the seats. People go to Citizens Bank Park to watch Ryan make the bell go ding.
But let’s keep looking at what arbitration would do. Howard would get to sit and listen to the franchise he just helped to the post season for the first time a gazillion years. He would get to hear them talk about how his fielding is suspect and how he strikes out too much. Don’t forget, this is the same team that held him hostage in Triple A Guantonamo Bay until he was about 26 years old. They’ve been holding back his earning potential (which does have a shelf life when you are an athlete) from the very beginning.
Arbitration isn’t fun and doesn’t make players closer to organizations. When Howard is up for free agency in a few years, why would he want to stay in Philadelphia?
