[americanwit]

Howard is too Legit to Quit. Give him the dough.

[Phils20]

Word has it within the next 7-10 days, he will get a deal for 1.5 mil or so. That would be over 1 mil of a raise! Not too bad. And I suspect he will break the bank after next season. Even my Phils can't screw this up, I hope!

[ThePundit]

As Clint Eastwood said in Unforgive: "Deserves got Nothing to do with it." Look, figure when Howard is eligible to be a free agent, he's goanna get a gazillion dollars.

So in my view, the Phillies have 1 of 2 choices: They can try to sign him for Derek Jeter or Vernon Wells type money...Say offer him 125 million,etc...and lock him in for 7 years...Or they can just wait and keep himi cheap and when his time comes up, then pay him the money....Sort of like what Daffy Duck said: "Should we shoot him now, or should we wait until we get home?"

Giving him an extra million, doesn't really accomplish anything. So either pay now or wait to pay, as is the Phillies collectively bargained right.

[Lefty Noob]

Quoting Daffy Duck. I like it. What this all comes down to is how many years he has left on his contract. If it's more than 3 years, resign him now -- the market will be far more out of whack in 2010 than it is now. Otherwise, I think you take your chances. You never know when injuries may happen, or his production could suddenly fall off.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Quoting Daffy Duck. I like it. What this all comes down to is how many years he has left on his contract. If it's more than 3 years, resign him now -- the market will be far more out of whack in 2010 than it is now. Otherwise, I think you take your chances. You never know when injuries may happen, or his production could suddenly fall off.

You forgot making a "Goodwill gesture to the player"...these days players feel they are getting dissed (they are delusional as hell), but a token offer now may save them more later...the player might not play hardball with them 3 years from now, if the team shows ssome good will now...of course the agent he has, has a lot to do with the negotiations.

[Phils20]

A couple of folks had asked how long he has left on the deal, and here is the best anwswer I have heard.

Pat Gillick has stated that he has 1 year, then a ceratain amount of months left. For some reason, that puts him in a different spot the say, Chase Utley, who they just signed to a nice extesnion.

I'm certain he is gonna cash in big after this year, and it seems they are gonna throw him a "good Faith" one year deal. Since it isn't my money, part of me wishes they would just do the big deal now.

Then I think about Pat Burrell. Big money, and 229 with the game on the line. We shall see, they got in a big hurry to sign him a few years ago, and although he is far from terrible, I don't think they get their moneys worth out of him!