The Phillies official website, Phillies.com, recently posted a mailbag question in which a fan asked in Howard would stay long term. Here is the question, and response.

Will the Phillies attempt to sign Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels to long-term contracts? These two are very important players for the city of Philadelphia and the fans.
– Jesse W., Arendtsville, Pa.

The club will discuss parameters this offseason with Howard, as he enters the first of what could be four years of arbitration-eligibility. A percentage of players with less than three full years of Major League experience receive “Super Two” designations, allowing them an extra or fourth year of arbitration-eligibility, instead of the usual three. While they’ll discuss parameters with Howard — likely to be in the neighborhood of the six-year, $85 million contract given to Chase Utley last winter — there’s no urgency to get anything done. Howard can’t become a free agent until after the 2011 season.

Hamels can’t file for free agency until after the 2012 season. He’ll follow Howard into arbitration after this season. Importance to the organization aside, there’s still an economic model that the Phillies will follow. In that regard, the Phillies are no different than the 29 other clubs.