Ryan Howard gets paid, signs 5 year, 125 million dollar extension

It looks like Ryan Howard will be a Phillie for his entire career as the slugger signed a 5 year, 125 million dollar contract extension with the club today. The contract, which runs through 2016, includes a limited no trade clause and a team option for a 6th year.

This is excellent news for Phillies fans that feared Howard would bolt to the Yankees or Red Sox after his contract ran out in 2011. While there should be some trepidation about whether Howard will be worth the 20+ million dollars he will be earning at the tail end of the deal when he is in his mid-30's, the Phillies have made a statement with this huge investment in one of the best power hitters in the league.

While I personally love the Phillies forking over a ton of money for a great player, I have to wonder what it means for someone like Jayson Werth, who will be a free agent after this season. Do the Phillies have enough money left over to pay Werth, too, or will they be scaling back the salaries for other positions? Can the Phillies still invest in a solid pitching staff with all of this money sunk into Howard? I guess we will just have to trust that Ruben Amaro has thought of these things and has a plan.

Congrats to Ryan Howard for getting paid. I'm going to love seeing him hit bombs for nearly the rest of this decade.