This Time, Phillies Should Listen Closely

We’ve heard the same words echoed time and time again: It’s a business. All owners, general managers, and front office brass live by this phrase. Hell, that’s their job, to run the monetary concerns and situations of a team. But with teams becoming bigger and sports more popular, money and salaries are the primary concern it seems in every season of every sport. Games have glided farther and farther away from just being a contest of talent and will. While sports do have the intense fan bases and knowledge and respect of the game, as they most likely always will have, money and contracts have become almost as important. Why should a player even suit up to play if he’s not getting the $4 million he requested, but a measly $3.5 million?

In the front office of the Phillies, we fans and media recently saw slugger Ryan Howard go toe-to-toe with the Phils big executives in his arbitration hearing. He wanted $10 million, the Phillies were offering $7 million. After all was said and done, the big man won his hearing and will earn the cool amount of $10 million for 2008. With spring training starting to get its legs, the Phillies just faced yet another unhappy customer. This time it’s all-star pitcher Cole Hamels.

Now, I think a brief overview of how baseball works for young players is needed. A team controls the contract of their players for the first six years of their careers. When a player has been in the big leagues for 3 years or less, the team has the ever popular option of “renewing” that contract for whatever salary they want, just as long as it’s above the minimum and has not been reduced by 20 percent from the previous year. After 3 years in the bigs, a player can go to arbitration, like Howard did. After those six years controlled by the team, a player is eligible for free agency and the true big bucks in long term contracts.

But with Hamels, who has pitched only 1 complete season, he is under that 3 year rule of possible renewal of his contract. Take a guess at what the Phillies did. If you guessed that they renewed it, you’d be right. The lefty will earn $500,000 this year, a $100,000 step up from last year. But he wanted $750,000, and there is the start of this problem. It’s not as if the Phillies aren’t sold on Hamels, they know he’s terrific and young (and a lefty- added bonus), but they’re working from a financial stand point. However, when looking back at the teams history with contract negotiations, this irks not just Hamels, but me as a fan as well. It’s time for the Phillies to pony up some cash. Although Hamels gave the classy answer that it would not effect his game this year, it’s increasingly obvious that it will be on his mind all the way to next season. And why shouldn’t it? This is terribly familiar, like this has happened before…a Phillies player in the front office…hmm..

Curt Schilling. All-star, future Hall of Famer, and Cy-Young winner…former Phillies pitcher. He grew angry with the Phillies front office dealings and the lack of respect they shot at him with a low salary. What happened? He was traded the next season to Arizona (where he went on to win a World Series).

Scott Rolen. All-star, Gold Glover…former Phillies third baseman. Just like Schilling, he was peeved at the front office. He criticized them publicly, saying they aren’t committed to winning. So, the Phils shipped him off to St. Louis (where he went on to win a World Series).

J.D. Drew. Former 1st pick of the draft…by the Phillies. Disregard the super-agent Drew had and consider what the Phillies didn’t do: offer anything reasonable. They knew they needed help, and this was a terrific player (considered at the time at least), but refused to pull the trigger for financial reasons. Eventually, he was let go before playing a game.

Do I think the Phillies want to win? Absolutely. But are they holding back too much? Are they turning their back, and their checkbooks, on star players too often? Absolutely. Consider Cole Hamels’ stats last year: 15-5 record, 3.39 ERA, 163 hits in 183.1 innings, 177 K’s to just 43 BB’s. Oh yeah, and an All-Star berth. It’s not like we’re dealing with a mediocre pitcher here. Hamels is young, extremely talented, has 2 fantastic out pitches, one of the best breaking balls in the game, and strikes out tons of batters. He’s been injured, but isn’t injury prone at all (he pitched almost 200 innings last year). Also he’s a lefty, which any manager will tell you is a great added bonus to a terrific pitcher. The Phillies need this kid, they need him this year in 2008 and for 10 more years. The fans want him here because he gives it his all, and he succeeds at what he does. I’m sure the Phillies want him here in a Phillies uniform for his career too, but not giving him this money has a chance at putting his mind on money instead of on pitching. Keep him paid, and keep him happy, the team needs him.

This isn’t the same kind of thing as Ryan Howard’s arbitration. First off, there were reports that Howard and his agent were talking to the Phils about a contract similar to A-Rod’s. Yea, that’s over $250 million, without incentives (which he would most certainly obtain). That is absolutely ridiculous for Howard to ask for.  First of all, no player is worth that much money, but if A-Rod is getting paid it (by the Yankees, I know) then only players at his calibur should be in that running. Ryan Howard is not in that league. Then reports surfaced that he’s looking for Alfonso Soriano type of a contract, running the team around $120 million. That’s more reasonable. But forget all that, forget the millions. This is about Cole Hamels getting $750,000. It’s understandable to want to be financially smart in baseball or any sport for that matter, but to avoid turmoil in the clubhouse and angst with a young star player is essential. Hamels deserves that extra quarter million, no doubt in my mind. The Phillies may have dodged a bullet here, and will hopefully wizen up by next off-season by offering the kid a good salary that he deserves. If they don’t? Well, just remember Schilling, Drew, and Rolen. Six years can pass quicker than you think, and the last thing this team wants is Hamels becoming the next star to exit Philadelphia.