Howard's deal a fair one

By Michael Rushton

The fact that Ryan Howard's renewed one-year contract is equal in the amount to what Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols received at a similar stage of his career should speak volumes.

One season removed from a .313 batting average, 58 home runs, 149 runs batted in and a National League MVP award, Howard will make the whopping sum of -- $900,000.

Seems a little low, doesn't it? In the greater picture that is Major League Baseball, it is.

In a league where a pitcher with a career 4.60 earned run average and a 59-58 record can get $40 million over four years (Ted Lilly), or an outfielder who has never hit more than 20 homers in a season and holds a career average of .263 can nab $50 million over five (Gary Matthews Jr.), Howard's 2007 salary is alarmingly below par.

By the way, hasn't Matthews recently been popping up on the news for some reason? Another topic, another time...

However, in the smaller scheme of things, Howard's deal isn't about what's best for the player. It is about what is best for the team.

Sure, the Phillies could have given Howard a huge long-term contract and kept him in Philadelphia for the rest of his career. But what is the point?

Howard can't go anywhere until 2011 and eventually, arbitration will dictate how much he makes. So why give more than was necessary. Pujols got $900,000 after two-plus seasons of service. Howard got it in one-plus seasons.

Hence, Howard today became the highest paid player ever with less than two years of time in the majors. Kerry Wood's $690,000 deal in 2002 held that distinction before Howard came along.
So you see, Howard was solidly rewarded for his stellar 2006.

Don't forget, any long-term deal would have ballooned Philadelphia's payroll to a point where the team would be able to afford little else for the rest of Howard's tenure.

The club is still overpaying Pat Burrell, is still paying a portion of Jim Thome's salary, and still has glaring holes that will emerge down the road (third base and closer) that will need to be addressed.

Why handicap itself now when Philadelphia doesn't need to.

The New York Yankees are facing a similar situation on the other end of the spectrum in regards to closer Mariano Rivera.

Rivera's a free agent at the end of the 2007 season and New York will need to decide what to do with him after the season. A lot of fans in New York say the Yankees should give Rivera whatever he wants at season's end, if anything as a reward for a New York career that is regarded as one of the best by a closer ever.

But why should they? Rivera is 37 and there is no telling how much he has left in the tank. Why should New York handicap itself long term at this point in Rivera's career. If Rivera wants to get paid, he should have done so when the getting was good.

Now, in Howard's defense, he doesn't have the leverage that Rivera has. But the philosophy is the same. Team over player.

Don't worry, Howard will get paid and will be with the Phillies for a long time. It just won't be this season.