With Pujols, the Cardinals had far and away the best average in the NL. They lacked pitching. That’s why they didn’t make the playoffs: Consistent pitching.

Pujols has tremendous value on the Cardinals. If you take Pujols off that team and add Howard, it’s probably a win or three worse. And if you take Howard off the Phils and add Pujols, the Phils win the East by five or six games.

The fact that he didn’t win the MVP won’t earn him any less money in arbitration, just the same way I didn’t think an MVP would earn him more..

But I seriously hear what you are saying, and the average of 45+ HRs and 135+ RBIs… that puts him in a catergory with Bonds, Babe Ruth and stuff… BUT.. my Pujols comments were based on the fact that Pujols also pounds the ball above-average for power, and hit .100 points higher in batting average than Howard, .100 is a LOT

So I guess, Lincecum won’t get a ton of money come arbitration time? Betcha he gets more money than anyone before him maybe save for Hamels.

Why? Because of his Cy Young.

Because the Phillies say you’re worth (my guess is $12M)…and Howard will want somewhere closer to 18-20… they’ll settle somewhere around $15M, because that is his true value. Nobody is going to award him more than $15M in arbitration just because his HRs and RBIs are that high… they’ll see his high totals in Errors, K’s, and a low battings average too…

So expect them to settle his contract before he gets to arbitration this year, becuase the Phillies will offer him a raise from last year anyway.

Awards mean more in Free Agency, because everyone else bases their contracts off of the top-players, and the top-players salaries are based around how dominant they are (what hardware they’ve won).. because that gets the media going.. Arbitration is ruled upon after a hearing that goes on the stats, and each side presents their case. I don’t think the Phillies want to go to Arb with him again this year, so I expect them to settle

I think Pujols should get it. He’s the best all-around player in the game, and he had the best all-around year in the game. Defense has to count at least a little bit in the MVP race, and Howard is a bona-fide liability, while Pujols is one of the best at his position in MLB.

Don- I think MVP absolutely plays into arbitration. When they go to abr, the agent for Howard is going to say (if he wins) we have here a ROY, and 2-time MVP winner in his 1st 3 yrs, he should be paid accordingly. If he doesn’t use this route he should be fired as an agent.

And guess what? Howard will win his arbitration case. Unless he’s asking for anything north of $15, he’s going to win. Because in the end, they will bring up his HRs, RBIs, and ect, and are the Phills to say, “Well his HRs are inflated because of OUR park. His MVP really wasn’t deserved because Pujols was better.”

You don’t think there will be pressure from Fehr to get Howard a BIG raise in arb of he wins this MVP? If you don’t than you are just being foolish.

I guess Howard can say, “Well Hamels didn’t deserve the WS MVP over me, so let’s just call it even”

The arguement of him getting a bigger contract if he’s a 2-time MVP doesn’t hold as much wait because in FA, the bidding wars themselves will just drive up the price. Here in arbitration the price only goes up if the agent makes his case sound and the judges agree with it.

I have to compliment you though,Don M …the player reversal thing was different.I’ve been a baseball fan for a long time and never heard that one.It does make sense.

Steve Carlton comes to mind… with a 27 win season for a team that only won 59 games!!!

But I just think that Pujols is a superior player, and although he didn’t make the playoffs, he had a better season as an individual than Ryan Howard. And I honestly think that if we had Pujols instead of Howard at 1st base, we would have CRUSHED the entire National League, instead of just SMACKING them around!!!

…BUT, again, I understand how people think Howard should win it, I personally would vote for Pujols 1st, Howard 2nd if I was a voter.

I’m sure its been done before, but before Don M reversed the players on each other’s teams….I cant say I’ve ever heard that method before.

He can MASH the ball, but he’ll always strike out a ton too.. this year he’ll probably ask for $15+, and the Phillies will offer $12 ???… my guess is that he wins that $15, or they settle somewhere around that figure if he asks for more to begin with.

I understand everyone wants Howard to win the MVP, and without his huge September the Phillies don’t make the playoffs… BUT.. we were on the reverse side of this same arguement in 2006, when the Cards made the playoffs, we didn’t..but Howard won it anyway… Pujols’ numbers are SICK..

If you added Pujols to our team with those stats, we win the NL East by 10 games.. add Howard to the Cards and they aren’t any better.. In that sense, Pujols was the MORE VALUABLE PLAYER this year.. I’d expect him to take the award, I’d be shocked if he didn’t.. AND, I hope I’m wrong!

So what is the definition of MVP?I say the above statement is all you need.