Does Philly's Ryan Howard Deserve the $18 Million He's Asking For?

Shay Roddy looks at both sides of the argument:

YES

Despite the fact that Ryan Howard has requested the third largest salary in the history of arbitration after giving less than four seasons of service, he has clearly warranted this salary. He has far surpassed the first four years of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson, and every other baseball great. He has won MVPs, HR Derbys, Rookies of the Year, and World Series titles.

He has not only set up Pat Burrell to be a better player by putting runners in scoring position, but he has also forced the opponents to pitch to Utley. He constantly demonstrates outstanding numbers in RBIs and HRs.

He was the fastest player to reach 100 HRs in the history of baseball.  He’s never caused an uproar in the clubhouse.  He’s a classy guy with a helluva lot of talent.

Ryan Howard is a valuable part of the Phillies. His numbers far exceed any put up by any player in the history of the game.  He deserves $18 million.

NO

Are you kidding me? $18 million? I think $14 million is generous. There’s no way. Howard is only 29 and he’s spent less than four years in the league. The whole league is based on service time; that’s why the arbitration process exists.

Howard has an enormously inflated sense of his own value. He strikes out 200 times a year and is a human sift in the field. He was almost completely dormant during the playoffs, when it counts the most.

Compare him to Albert Pujols, the MVP of the league, who has twice as much time as Howard. Pujols makes around $14 million a year. And he’s a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman who hits 30 home runs a year and hits .350, instead of .250 like Howard.  Howard also frequently starts the season slow.

He’s lucky to be getting $14 million.

Love it? Hate it? Have a better idea? Let Shay Roddy know by emailing him at [e-mail] or by stopping by his blog at http://philliephanatics.org