OT: Ryan Howard signs with Atlanta Braves

[RUInFlorida]

I know there are a lot of Phillies fans on this board. Thought you might find this interesting!

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/222654052/braves-sign-ryan-howard-to-minor-league-deal/

 

[Jabanero]

Needs to count his $$$ & retire.

 

[Retired711]

Thanks for reporting the item. This makes no sense to me. I would think the only team that would want Howard would be an AL team looking for a DH. His defense -- never a particularly strong point -- is poor. The guy does connect for the long ball once in a while -- an unusually high percentage of his hits are HRs -- but he strikes out so much.

 

[newell138]

sad.

 

[mikebal9]

Yea, and odelete choice. No DH, and Freeman at first. Had to be his only option.

 

[voltz99]

I know there are a lot of Phillies fans on this board. Thought you might find this interesting!

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/222654052/braves-sign-ryan-howard-to-minor-league-deal/

He was done 5 years ago. He is a sub .200 hitter who has not hit more than 25 HRs in about 6 years.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

Strictly for a possible power bat off the bench and DH for games in AL stadiums. Very little risk so what's the big deal?

 

[voltz99]

Strictly for a possible power bat off the bench and DH for games in AL stadiums. Very little risk so what's the big deal?

Sounds like you have not watched Howard play the last 5 years. He sucks. He hit sub .200 last year. One season over .229 the last 5 years. 0 seasons over 25 HRs the last 5 years. His fielding is horrible. He can't run. He turns doubles into singles and not just for himself. He is so slow he clogs the bases. His team needs 3 hits to get him home from first.

He was done 5 years ago.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Hasn't he struck out enough?

 

[Retired711]

Members of the 2008 Phillies world championship team seem to want to play forever. Jimmy Rollins went to spring training with the Giants, and couldn't make the team. Chase Utley seems content to be a utility player with the Dodgers. And now Howard.

 

[RUich]

Hopefully, a real le$$on for the Phillies that you never give one player the kind of contract they gave him.

 

[Retired711]

Hopefully, a real le$$on for the Phillies that you never give one player the kind of contract they gave him.

And it was thought by the Phillies to be a brilliant move at the time. The contract might not have worked out so badly except for the Achillies tendon tear he suffered. I'm not sure he ever was the same after that.

 

[mikebal9]

I was very proud of myself this year when an old Facebook post popped up on my timehop saying they'd regret that signing. I compared it to Mo Vaughn and predicted that his huge body would break down. I'm sad that I was right, but honestly it wasn't hard to predict at all.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

Strictly for a possible power bat off the bench and DH for games in AL stadiums. Very little risk so what's the big deal?

Sounds like you have not watched Howard play the last 5 years. He sucks. He hit sub .200 last year. One season over .229 the last 5 years. 0 seasons over 25 HRs the last 5 years. His fielding is horrible. He can't run. He turns doubles into singles and not just for himself. He is so slow he clogs the bases. His team needs 3 hits to get him home from first.

He was done 5 years ago.

Well if that's the case he doesnt make it and gets waived. He was signed to a minor league deal. Basically taking a flyer on him. I can't stand the Braves so I don't really care. But its not like he's taking up a roster spot.

 

[RuSnp]

And it was thought by the Phillies to be a brilliant move at the time. The contract might not have worked out so badly except for the Achillies tendon tear he suffered. I'm not sure he ever was the same after that.

Camden there was criticism of that extension at the time.

The injury definitely "hurt" but he was in decline before it happened, and big first basemen with his batting profile would never get an extension like that now.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/what-are-the-phillies-thinking/

 

[bitnez]

He very likely doesn't ever plan on playing for Atlanta. He needed a venue to showcase what he has. He's probably hoping that someone in the AL sees that he can still play. The minor league deals these vets sign often allow them to leave for any major league roster. Or, he simply wants to be around the game and Atlanta is giving him a glorified paid coaching internship.

 

[herdof3]

And it was thought by the Phillies to be a brilliant move at the time. The contract might not have worked out so badly except for the Achillies tendon tear he suffered. I'm not sure he ever was the same after that.

I don't remember it this way at all. Had 2 years left, already concerns that he couldn't hit above average pitching and would be in same free agent class as Fielder and the guy from the cards (drawing a blank). I remember a lot of raised eyebrows over this deal.

 

[RUPartisan]

Hopefully, a real le$$on for the Phillies that you never give one player the kind of contract they gave him.

Wouldn't that be a lesson for every single team in every professional sport? I hate the Phillies but you make it seem like they are the only ones who have done this.

 

[RUInFlorida]

Hopefully, a real le$$on for the Phillies that you never give one player the kind of contract they gave him.

I think the best example of a team agreeing to a horrible contract would be the Mets, who will be paying Bobby Bonilla another $1.2 million this July, and every subsequent July until 2035.

 

[voltz99]

And it was thought by the Phillies to be a brilliant move at the time. The contract might not have worked out so badly except for the Achillies tendon tear he suffered. I'm not sure he ever was the same after that.

No. It was a horrible move at the time. . Howard's power numbers were way down when he got the extension. He went from 58 HRs down to about 31HRs. He was also limping the whole year before he got the extension and had the achillies injury. He was also getting cortisone shots in his ankle just to play. Howard was damaged goods BEFORE the extension. Herd also pointed out he still had time left on his deal.

 

[Retired711]

No. It was a horrible move at the time. Anyone with half a brain could see it was a mistake. Howard's power numbers were way down when he got the extension. He went from 58 HRs down to about 31HRs. He was also limping the whole year before he got the extension and had the achillies injury. He was also getting cortisone shots in his ankle just to play. Howard was damaged goods BEFORE the extension. Herd also pointed out he still had time left on his deal.

You guys have convinced me! Yes, I do remember that Howard had ankle problems before the Achilles tendon injury, and I remember reporters in Philly speculating that one might have contributed to the other.

 

[NJIT_1990]

No. It was a horrible move at the time. Anyone with half a brain could see it was a mistake. Howard's power numbers were way down when he got the extension. He went from 58 HRs down to about 31HRs. He was also limping the whole year before he got the extension and had the achillies injury. He was also getting cortisone shots in his ankle just to play. Howard was damaged goods BEFORE the extension. Herd also pointed out he still had time left on his deal.

Howard signed his extension in of April 2010 - effectively two full seasons worth of baseball before he went down with the Achilles injury on the last at bat of the 2011 playoffs....the three seasons prior he had 47 (2007), 48 (2008) and 45 (2009) HRs...in each of those seasons he had 135+ RBI...also in 2008 he played in 162 games and in 2009 he played in 160...although I would agree that the contract was not a team friendly deal for a power hitter that strikes out too much, he had not shown signs of breaking down before signing the deal...if I recall correctly the winter before he committed himself to a rigerous workout routine to fix holes in his swing (worked out with Barry Bonds) and also on his defense...as a fan of the Phillies, it was a questionable deal that was offered too early while he had time on his existing contract that ended up worse due to his reduced production due to the injury...

 

[Plum Street]

I think the best example of a team agreeing to a horrible contract would be the Mets, who will be paying Bobby Bonilla another $1.2 million this July, and every subsequent July until 2035.

It wasn't horrible at the time because they bought out his contact and deferred the payments. Remember the Mets were investing that money with madhoff and were actually making out on the deal until well Bernie got caught.

 

[RUInFlorida]

It wasn't horrible at the time because they bought out his contact and deferred the payments. Remember the Mets were investing that money with madhoff and were actually making out on the deal until well Bernie got caught.

Give me a break, man. It was a horrible deal then and now.

 

[Plum Street]

Give me a break, man. It was a horrible deal then and now.

No, it wasn't . The Mets were able to free up money and with that money pay mike Hampton. Without Hampton Mets don't make the World Series.
The mets were going to make money on the bobby bo deal as long as madoff investments paid off. Well, that didn't happen.