UT: Chase Headley to be offered long term contract

Would you like to have Chase Headley around for a while? Me too.

"Me three", says Ron Fowler. And it looks like the team is gearing up to start talking turkey. but how much turkey we talking?

Ron Fowler, the executive chairman of the Padres, told U-T San Diego that a "multi-year" deal will be offered to the reigning RBI champion of the National League "before midseason" that would make Headley the highest-paid player in franchise history.

From the numbers I can pull, the highest paid player in franchise history (single year salary) was Jake Peavy's 2009 campaign when he earned $11 million (Maddux pulled a $10 million single year contract). So... More than $11 million. Depending on how you look at it, the richest contracts offered by the Padres hover in the $30 million range (Phil Nevin, Trevor Hoffman)

"Will it be 10 years? No," said Fowler. "We're not going to do something like that. But we will do an offer that will be the largest offer we've ever made to a player in San Diego history and think it will be very close to some of the numbers I read in the press."

As the UT points out, if Ron Fowler is reading the same press I'm reading, then Chase should make something around, but not more than, David Wright, who is currently making $15 million a year. Ryan Zimmerman made $12 million last year (on a $45 million, 5 year contract). Chase is worth more than Ryan Zimmerman, right?

If I had my guess, I would guess that the Padres offered Chase a 4 year deal last year, averaging to $8-$10 million per year, which might've been "fair", but not something Chase would necessarily jump at. If Fowler is being truthful, then I would think a proper 4 year deal should total out over $55 million. I don't think he's going to get the David Wright number, but he should be close. Adrian Beltre's sick 5 year, $80 million contract is what throws a wrench into things.

The only part of the article that troubles me... (my emphasis)

""We want to do what's best for the team. Do we want Chase here long-term? Yes. We're not going to sit here and do nothing. That's not in our best interests. But it takes two to dance. One thing you can't do in business is negotiate against yourself. That doesn't make any sense."

That part sounds a little like a preemptive strike against the bad PR the Padres have had in the past with guys like Trevor Hoffman, Jake Peavy and Mat Latos. The idea that deals get done without the players' knowledge. Hopefully, I'm reading too much into it, but Chase has the leverage in this deal and if the Padres want to make the right impression, they'll have to act very deliberately in one direction or another. Either make the intention clear that Chase is not in our future, or make a deal that doesn't drag out the negotiations. If there's one thing that won't fly right now... Wishy Washy.