Pay The Man - Friday, May 16, 2008
158 Views :: 1 Comments :: :: Michael Bradley

   When the topic of signing pitchers to long-term deals comes up, the specter of Barry Zito looms large. The winter after Zito went 16-10 with a 3.83 ERA for the A's, San Francisco signed him to a seven-year, $126 million contract. Since then, Zito is 11-20, including an 0-7 mark this year.

   The list goes on. In '99, the Dodgers signed Kevin Brown to a seven-year, $105 million deal. He went 72-45 for L.A., before he was shipped to the Yankees. Not exactly the best return on an investment. Mike Hampton signed an eight-year, $120 million contract with the Rockies in '01 and has won 53 games since. His elbow is so messed up these days, he's even money to make it through a long-toss session.

  I bring up these disastrous wastes of money in light of Cole Hamels' complete-game, four-hit shutout of Larry and the Braves last night. It was a masterful performance that showcased Hamels' command of his three pitches and tremendous endurance (120 pitches). It came when the Phillies needed it most, one night after another dreary effort by Ace 1A, Brett Myers.

   Hamels is now 5-3, with a 2.89 ERA and has won three straight decisions. Barring injuries, he'll throw 200-plus innings, win 15-18 games and continue to win in big situations, like last night. He's a stopper, the type of pitcher good teams need during the season and especially in the playoffs. Hamels may be a little flaky, what with his demands for a chiropractor and problems with his long sleeve/short sleeve situation, but the Phillies need him. Most of all, they need to make him happy.

   There have been plenty of news reports lately about young stars signing extensions with their teams. Ryan Braun did it this week. So did Scott Kazmir. Evan Longoria was locked up in April. Troy Tulowitzki re-upped with the Rockies in January. GM Pat Gillick has mentioned the possibility of negotiating new deals with Brad Lidge and Pat Burrell, both of whom are in the last year of their contracts, but why not do something bold and sign Hamels?

   Yes, that's not how the Phillies do things. They would rather play the arbitration game (how did that work out with Ryan Howard?) and wait until they absolutely have to negotiate a long-term deal. But the landscape is changing. Teams are signing their young stars early now, in moves that benefit the clubs and the players. Devoting five or six years to a player now costs about $8-9 million per, whereas a big deal in a couple seasons could require $12-15 mil. Sure, the Phils could keep Hamels low-balled and in their service, but doesn't it make sense to lock up a lights-out lefty starter now, especially when the rest of the rotation looks as reliable as Jose Canseco's journalistic integrity?

   It won't be easy to get Hamels signed. The Phillies "insulted" him with their '08 offer, and there are bound to be some hard feelings. Still, if the team makes a good-faith offer that begins serious negotiations, it will find that Hamels will be quite forgiving. It's a win-win idea, and it's one the Phillies need to embrace right now. Yes, it could make the Ryan Howard situation a little tougher down the road, but that's the cost of doing baseball business these days. If the Phils' owners want to be in the game, they have to be pro-active. If not, sell the team and let someone else do it.

   Sign Cole Hamels to a long-term deal. Now.