Ryan Howard, Phillies power slugging first baseman agreed on Monday to a $125 million contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2017 season.
Howard could have tested the free market in two years, but chose instead to stay loyal to the team that brought him to The Bigs.
In a statement Howard said:
“I tell you what, it’s a great feeling to have that security and know where you’re going to be,” adding, “I feel what I’ve been doing over the last couple of years, I feel pretty confident that down the road, I’ll be right where I want to be and still doing the same things.”
During a news conference at AT&T Park General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and other players took jabs at their teammate, Amaro joked:
“As part of this deal, he has agreed to buy a second home for me.”
Amaro went on to talk about the actual deal in which he said:
“We just felt it was good timing for us,” and “We felt No. 1, he’s one of the elite offensive players in the game. We could have waited another year and a half or so and dealt with it later on, but the fact of the matter is we decided he is that important to our organization and to our club and to our future.”
According to ESPN, the contract breaks down as follows, $20 million for each of the 2012 and 2013 seasons, then $25 million annually from 2014-2016 with a $23 million club option for 2017 with a $10 million buyout thrown in for good measure. There are also no escalators in the contract.
With Howard helping lead his team to a championship in 2008 and two straight World Series appearances the huge contract is well worth the cost to the franchise.
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