Phils reach deal with Howard

The Phillies have decided to pay Ryan Howard $900,000 in 2007. That’s a nice $545,000 raise from the $355,000 he made in ‘06. Howard won’t be a free agent until after the 2011 season, but that hasn’t stopped the negotiations for a phat Chase Utley like extension for Howard.

Assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. spoke about the contract discussions commenting, "We discussed a variety of things. It is our goal to keep our star players in pinstripes and we're going to work to that end. We didn't get to the finish line on this, but we'll have continued talks on this one."

While Howard’s 2007 salary may seem like an insult, the Phillies actually put him in exceptional company. Howard $900,000 pay check is more than any other player has made with only two years of service time, except for Albert Pujols who also made $900K in 2003.

Howard had a monster season last year. We all know about 58 and 149, but even more impressive are the 108 walks, the .425 OBP, and the 1.084 OPS. Howard hasn't showed any signs of slowing down. Today he hit his first home run of the spring in his second plate Grape Fruit League appearance.

Sources:
Howard has a blast with first homer
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

Phillies renew Howard’s contract
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com

Picture of Ryan Howard from ESPN.com