Posted: Saturday, January 17, 2009, 1:24 PM | 19 comments |
 

Hamels Signed to Contract Extension
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Sources confirmed to The Inquirer's Jim Salisbury that the Phillies have signed Cole Hamels to a three-year, $20.5 million contract extension.

This contract extension buys out Hamels' first three years of salary arbitration. It means he will have one year of salary arbitration remaining before he becomes a free agent after the 2012 season. Obviously, this made sense to both parties. The Phillies get Hamels signed through 2011, knowing they can't get burned at the arbitration table, no matter how well Hamels pitches. And Hamels protects himself in the event of injury.

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Greg Dobbs signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension yesterday.

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That leaves Ryan Howard, Ryan Madson, Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Jayson Werth and Chad Durbin eligible for arbitration. The Phillies have been talking with Madson about a contract extension, but he reportedly turned down a three-year, $12 million offer.

Will the Phillies sign Howard to an extension soon? I doubt it. Unless Howard's asking price has changed, I think the sides remain too far apart.
Posted by Todd Zolecki @ 1:24 PM  Permalink | 19 comments
19
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:45 PM, 01/17/2009
    Good deal on both counts! Two down. Six to go. The Phils definitely need to sign Vic, Joe and Jayson to long term deals. Who knows what the heck they're thinking for Ryno.
    — Norma
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:13 PM, 01/17/2009
    This is great news- a good price for an ace, comfort for him and some cost certainty for the team- same thing for Dobbs. I think Vic and Werth, and probably Durbin, get done before they go to a hearing.
    — KMG
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:13 PM, 01/17/2009
    nice deal. works for both sides.
    — timm2
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:21 PM, 01/17/2009
    I still would feel more comfortable if the powers to be really want to be champions and contenders for a long time and not cheap as their reputation has shown through the years do the following. I want another true top of the rotation guy. I want Roy Halladay in the worst way. He is affordable if the Phillies make a strong push for him. Trade prospects and whatever elase they can possibly do without destroying their clib . Since they lose draft picks for signing Ibanez they should trade Howard for now and the future. Then take the money they save on him and go get Manny. Boras would of have him signed already if someone truly wanted him bad. The Phillies could prbably sin him to a 1 year or 2 contract with a lot of incentives. I want pitching and I would love to see Meyers back in the pen or trade him for something good this year because I think he is a FA next year.
    — bongo
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:50 PM, 01/17/2009
    Cool beans! Nice deal for both Hamels and Dobbs. Hopefully they can sign Victorino, Werth and even Blanton to long term deals. Wonder why Madson turned down his deal? 28 days until P&C report :-)
    — KarenA
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:58 PM, 01/17/2009
    Manny? Come on....
    — brian2706
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:10 PM, 01/17/2009
    Fantastic on all 3 fronts (player, owner, fans) I'm a little surprised Cole didn't force a longer contract. Glad to have him here and happy at reasonable price for the next 3+ years.
    — Sully
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:59 PM, 01/17/2009
    Don`t be surprised that both Ryan Madson and Ryan Howard aren`t with the Phillies after this year.Scott Boras is Madson`s agent and he always over prices his clients.Howard is going to get to expensive and I wouldn`t be surprised that he gets traded later in the year for frontline pitching,if the Phils are out of the pennant race.The Phils have some options if Madson and Howard aren`t back next year.Utley could move to first and put Donald at second.There is enough pitching talent in the system to replace Madson from within and I don`t think there would be that much drop off if one or both of these guys are gone after this year.
    — penn state man
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:38 PM, 01/17/2009
    See, Cole, that's how it works. You prove yourself on the mound and the team comes through with the big bucks. Congratulations, man! Let's hope you're a Phillie for many years (and pennants) to come!
    — bobby
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:12 AM, 01/18/2009
    2 Run Madsen has shown flashes of brilliance in the past....only to fizzle out for a year or more at a time. Boras will never let him sign, no matter how much the Phils offer......maybe better to let him walk after this year. Then we get a 1st rounder! Howard has Daddy telling him what to do.....and right now that means extracting as many pounds of flesh out of whitey as he can get. He won't sign long term and it might be better if he didn't.....got a feeling he'll fade fast as he enters his 30's, so 32 might be the right age to part, and guess what? We get another 1st rounder!....not so bad, if we draft right....but let's enjoy the next few years first!
    — Mark1npt
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:42 AM, 01/18/2009
    great move. If I'm the Philies I don't sign any other of our arbitration players to long term contracts. While I love Vic and Werth, neith have proven themselves over time. Each has had one great year. DO it again and we'll talk. As for Branton, same thing. Have a great year this year and talk to me about multi-year extentions. HOward is never going to accept anything reasonable and will end up in a Yankee uniform at some point making ridiculous money to put up 250+ K's a year and Madson is stuck with the univer's worse agernt. Looks like Manny may miss this season thanks to Boras.
    — jeff gross
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:12 AM, 01/18/2009
    Move Madson, sign Shane and Werth to long term deals. Not sure if Howard will ever agree as long as he sees himself as the NL A-Rod. Blanton is a lunch pail guy who shows up when it counts. Hopefully something can be worked out for him soon. Hamels move was A+++
    — mick314
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:08 AM, 01/18/2009
    Mark1npt, "whitey"? Did you just inject race into the Ryan Howard signing? What's wrong with you, man? Are you really that stupid, that low class?
    — Neal Obstat
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About Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover












Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.

This is Brookover’s second stint writing about the Phillies, having joined the coverage team after seven years as an Eagles beat writer. Brookover was hired by The Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after spending 13 years writing about the team for two suburban newspapers. While on the Eagles beat, Brookover, who had covered just two winning Phillies teams in 15 seasons, saw the Phillies move into a cash-cow new ballpark and begin playing a brand of the game he found unrecognizable. Follow him on Twitter here.

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