Moyer wasn't getting $25 million a year to be a 5th starter. (I know, I know, Howard didn't hold a gun to Amaro's head and make him countersign his extension, but for better or worse Howard gets blamed for his high pay/low performance, not the idiot who offered the krazy contract to him; life is tough sometimes.)

"Ryan Howard feels young inside" ...

How long ago did he eat Michael Young? You'd think digestion would've begun in earnest by now.

Moyer wasn't getting $25 million a year to be a 5th starter. (I know, I know, Howard didn't hold a gun to Amaro's head and make him countersign his extension, but for better or worse Howard gets blamed for his high pay/low performance, not the idiot who offered the krazy contract to him; life is tough sometimes.)

I just looked at Howard's contract -- the buyout of the 2017 option is $10 million. I don't know I've seen a higher buyout. Hell, at that price there's almost a chance that the Phillies pick up the option. No way in hell he'll be worth $23 million as a 37-year-old, but seeing as how they have to pay him $10 million no matter what, maybe they'll decide he's worth the extra $13 million.

What a crazy contract. I assume Amaro didn't think he'd start it off by hitting 219/295/423.

Unless hyperinflation kicks in, he will not be worth $13 million, but he might still be their best option at that point (god help them).

Man, the Phillies will probably be the worst team in 3 years.

Call us old if you want to, if you want to sweep us under the rug

You guys are old, and I am going to sweep you under the rug. There. That's what you get for eating Michael Young.

With every day I become less confident that the team is going to platoon Howard and Young at first base and play Kevin Frandsen every day at third.

You're going to need a bigger rug

Unless hyperinflation kicks in, he will not be worth $13 million, but he might still be their best option at that point (god help them).

Well, Zips says his #1 comp is George Foster, and Foster hit 227/289/429 at age 37. If 219/295/423 is worth $20 million, then certainly 227/289/429 is worth $13 million!

And holy crap, Cliff Lee's 2016 buyout is $12.5 million. So his option will be picked up barring a real disaster. If they pick up Lee's option and Papelbon makes his incentives and gets a guarantee on the 2016 option, then that season they have a $89 million tied up in Howard, Lee, Hamels, and Papelbon.

If they pick up Lee's option and Papelbon makes his incentives and gets a guarantee on the 2016 option, then that season they have a $89 million tied up in Howard, Lee, Hamels, and Papelbon.

They can always trade the contracts to the Dodgers...

They had their chance. Even the Dodgers don't need 9 starters. They have 8 starters currently on the roster, with 4 starting spots already assigned to somebody. (

On the $10 M option -- even if he is their best option at the time, nobody else is really going to want him. They'd pay the option then sign him for 1/$5 or whatever (probably just calling it a 1/$15 extension).

Moyer wasn't getting $25 million a year to be a 5th starter.

Well, folks had been calling Moyer old for a long time. He was 43 by the time he got to the Phils. From ages 33-36, Moyer put up 17 WAR -- I think the Phils would be ecstatic with that out of Howard. :-)

They had their chance. Even the Dodgers don't need 9 starters. They have 8 starters currently on the roster, with 4 starting spots already assigned to somebody.

Kershaw, Lilly, Capuano, and Harang are signed through this year, Beckett and Billingsley through 2014. (The team has a 2015 option on Billingsley.) Greinke and Ryu are the only pitchers signed beyond that. So they can re-sign Kershaw and still trade for Lee and Hamels in 2015. It'll happen!

Money really doesn't matter at this point for the Phils. Their Comcast deal ends after 2014. If they get even half what the Dodgers got they'll be bringing in about $160M/year in local TV revenue alone. Add to the fact that they sell out every game ... even with a few bad contracts they'll be able to field a competitive team if they can cultivate some home-grown everyday players. Six of their top 10 prospects are at AA or above. I think they'll be fine for the forseeable future.

Kelly Dugan to aave us all, I guess.

How long ago did he eat Michael Young? You'd think digestion would've begun in earnest by now.

Maybe he's talking about Delmon.