Locked down

First reaction to the news that Brett Myers signed a three-year, $26.75 million deal (contingent on him passing a physical) on Thursday night? "They didn't give him a no-trade clause, did they?"

Second reaction? "That seems like a fair deal. What, he was going to get about $5 million-plus in arbitration and much more if he were to become a free agent at the end of the season. Instead, it looks as if the Phillies gave him the going rate for youngish pitchers."

Third? "Despite serious questions about his fitness, Myers has been fairly durable. He nearly pitched 200 innings last season even though he missed a bunch of starts stemming from his arrest. Nor has he been injured… yet."

Fourth? "Three more years of that guy."

Fifth? "Let's hope the maturity that many in the Phillies organization say escapes him is found and locked down."

Sixth? "He is pretty good."

If Myers were any other pitcher, no one would have any concerns about the deal he just signed. In fact, most people probably don't have any trouble with it. The stats on the page speak for themselves. Per 162 games, Myers averages almost 207 innings, 166 strikeouts, and for the past two seasons his ERA was well below the league average. There is a 20-game winner lurking beneath all of that baggage.

It seems as if Brett Myers' biggest problem is being Brett Myers. But since he's now closer to 30 than 20, maybe the years and experience will help. Hey, some of us mature later than others, and there always seems to be certain types of behavior that the talented and gifted possess. Let's hope that impudent behavior has been tempered by experience.