I was a bit shocked yesterday when I heard the news of Ryan Howard winning the arbitration hearing. After all, awarding $10 million to a 1st year eligible player is a record, but then again Ryan Howard seems to be always setting records so it seems fitting. I'm happy for Ryan, he deserves it. However, I'm sad for the Phillies because this almost certainly places Howard out of their self-imposed salary cap and means that he'll most likely be traded to an AL club in about 3 years that offers him an extension worth close to $20 million per season (aka- BoSox or Yanks). My message to Phillies fans in the aftermath of this arbitration case- Enjoy Ryan Howard while you can.
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