Fun Fact: Ryan Howard will make more than Albert Pujols this year. And next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. The year after that one — 2016 — they’ll make the same.
Secondary fun fact: Ryan Howard will make more than Prince Fielder every single year until 2017, at which point Howard’s option will likely be declined and he’ll be a free agent again. In no single season of his nine-year deal will Prince Fielder make as much as Howard will make for 2014, 2015 and 2016.
But it’s OK, because Ruben Amaro is just fine with it:
“I’m kind of happy,” Amaro said. “Really happy because if I would’ve had to put eight or nine years on Howard’s deal right now, that would be a little disconcerting. Right now we have Howard for the next five years. I kind of like that rather than giving an eight-, nine- or 10-year deal.”
Honestly, though: would anyone not prefer Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols on their new 9/10 year deals over Ryan Howard on the five-year deal that kicks in starting this season? If given the choice right now — even assuming that Howard wasn’t coming off a torn Achilles. which he is — wouldn’t you rather take either of the other two on the longer deals? I sure would.
I know Amaro can’t say that, of course, because of the politics of it all. But man.