Ryan Howard Deal

Ryan Howard just signed a 5 year/$125 million dollar deal. Many people I've talked to have said Ryan Howard's new contract is terrible for the Phillies. They've said he's being overpaid and has a lot of holes in his game. While I agree that $25 million a year to play a game is a lot of money, it now looks like it will be a common occurrence. Most people look at Ryan Howard as a better version of Adam Dunn. A guy who will hit 40+ home runs, strike out a lot, hit for a low batting average, and be a defensive liability. He's a lot better than people perceive him to be. Howard has averaged 50 home runs the last 4 full seasons. He's also finished in the top 5 in MVP the last four years. Howard was never going to give the Phillies a discount. He's always wanted a historic contract, an "A-rod" contract if you will. The reason the Phillies were willing to give Howard this monstrous deal was because he has shown his commitment to being a better all around player. He has lost 30 pounds the last two years and has shown immense improvement on the defensive side of the ball. In fact his +/- rating is tied with Albert Pujols for best in the National League. And to those critics who say he's a strike out machine. Howard has 15 strikeouts in 19 games, just one more than the "machine" Albert Pujols. The truth is while the contract is HUGE, the Phillies obviously want and need Ryan Howard and the only way they would have kept him is to show him the money.

David Price Amazes

I've heard a lot of talk about Stephen Strasburg. About how he's the next big pitcher. The second coming of Roger Clemens. While he's in the minors a guy has thrown gems against the Yankees, Orioles, and Blue Jays. The guy's name is David Price. Equipped with a devastating slider and a fastball that tops out at 97 mph he's going to be carrying a young Tampa Bay Rays team on his back for the next 10+ years. Watching this kid pitch reminds me a lot of a young Randy Johnson. Now I'm not saying he'll strike out 300 batters. That will never happen again with pitch counts and inning limits, but he will be the premier left handed pitcher in the majors for a long time. I'll go out on a limb now and say he'll win at least 3 Cy Youngs by the time he's done pitching. And with the American League having starting pitchers such as Felix Hernandez, CC Sabathia, Justin Verlander, Jon Lester, Zach Greinke, Cliff Lee, and Josh Beckett in toll it could be a bold prediction.