jabrch
01-21-2007, 12:07 PM
Phillies agreed to terms with second baseman Chase Utley on a seven-year, $85 million contract.
Quite a deal for a player still three years away from free agency. Utley probably would have made about $25 million in his arbitration years, so the Phillies are spending $15 million per year on him for his first four years of free agency. It's a risky deal, especially since second basemen tend to age poorly. Still, he's showed that he's worthy of such a contract with his performance the last two years.
I know Utley is a pretty good ball player, but this sounds like a TON of money to pay for a 2B, and certainly to committ to it 3 years before he hits FA. I guess the Phils can fix that expense on their books and focus on their pitching with Utley and Howard theirs for the long haul.
Quite a deal for a player still three years away from free agency. Utley probably would have made about $25 million in his arbitration years, so the Phillies are spending $15 million per year on him for his first four years of free agency. It's a risky deal, especially since second basemen tend to age poorly. Still, he's showed that he's worthy of such a contract with his performance the last two years.
I know Utley is a pretty good ball player, but this sounds like a TON of money to pay for a 2B, and certainly to committ to it 3 years before he hits FA. I guess the Phils can fix that expense on their books and focus on their pitching with Utley and Howard theirs for the long haul.