Last offseason, the Phillies surprised many baseball people by signing Raul Ibanez to a three year contract worth $31.5 million dollars. The signing itself was not surprising (unless you were a huge fan of Pat Burrell), but the amount of years the Phillies were willing to give the 36 year old Ibanez a three year contract.So far, the results have been great. The Phillies are back in the playoffs for the third straight season and Ibanez, at age 37, has put up some of the best numbers of his career (.274, 34 HR, 93 RBI).As we look forward towards the 2009 offseason, I can't help but wonder if the Ibanez contract will become the standard for aging, but still productive hitters. Instead of looking for one or two years when the player is clearly past his prime, will agents start looking to get 3 year deals like the one Ibanez got?This discussion is interesting because there are a number of hitters, who will be free agents this offseason that fit the "aging, but still productive m...
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