SOUTH GRAND — Ryan Howard, pride of Lafayette High, home-run king and challenger for the National League MVP award, you just helped hoist the Philadelphia Phillies to their first World Series championship in 28 years. What are you going to do next?

“I’m going to …”

Arbitration?

In the afterglow of Philadelphia’s first major professional world championship in a generation, it is clear that the Phillies could begin defense of their World Series title in arbitration hearings.

Two pillars of the Phillies success this October, World Series MVP Cole Hamels and slugging first baseman Howard, are both arbitration eligible this winter — Hamels for the first time in his career and Howard for the second time. The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced Thursday morning that Howard’s bat from Game 4 — when he cranked two homers — and Hamels’ jersey from Game 5 (presumably the first Game 5) would be headed to Cooperstown. Those are symbols of what the players and their performances are worth to history.

Arbitration could be a dicey way for the Phillies to resolve what they are worth to the team.

Being first-time eligible, Hamels is a tricky case because he’s already established himself as one of the elite lefthanded starters in the game. Does Dontrelle Willis help set his value? (Before 2006, Willis got a record $4.35 million for a first-time eligible starting pitcher) Or, Scott Kazmir, who made $3.8 million in his first season after avoiding arbitration? Perhaps, but Hamels also now has an unbeaten record in October and a World Series MVP to carry into any hearing. Both are up for discussion when a player and his representative make their case before an arbitration-hearing panel. In addition to statistics, a player and his rep can also argue on behalf of a players leadership, importance to the team (think Face of the Franchise stuff) and “special accomplishments”, like that MVP trophy Hamels got Wednesday night.

Josh Beckett was a young gunslinger when he won the World Series MVP in 2003, and he had not had the regular season success that Hamel has had for two years running. He was renewed by Florida at $1.5 million after the MVP, and then they avoided arbitration in his first eligible winter with a $2.4-million deal. Beckett’s had a head start because he was on a major-league deal as part of his draft signing, and Hamels enters this winter coming off a $500,000 salary.

Time to talk long-term deal, like the St. Louis Cardinals did with Adam Wainwright.

It’s long past time to have done the same with Howard, the St. Louis native.

St. Louis native and Philadelphia 1B Ryan Howard raises the World Series trophy. (Source: Philly.com)

After his MVP season, the Phillies exercised their right of renewal and set Howard’s salary at $900,000. Last winter, he made his return volley by winning the largest arbitration decision in history — an even $10-million salary. If Philadelphia lets it get to the ritual exchange of salaries again, there’s no doubt that Howard will submit the largest figure in arbitration history, surpassing Alfonso Soriano’s $12-million request.

Arbitration depends a lot on comparable players, and Howard was said to have used Albert Pujols’ contract as a touchstone last winter. Before ever getting to the statistics and intangibles of the matter, arbitration sorts players into general groups — first-time eligible position players, third-time eligible relievers, second-time eligible starting pitchers, etc.

Howard goes into his second winter of arbitration eligibility with another season of leading the majors in home runs and RBIs, potentially a second MVP award, national Subway commercials, a clear role as the Phace of that Phranchise, and now this, a World Series championship. After you get past the “second-time eligible” category, try finding a place for him. As a few baseball people have put it: This is uncharted territory.

Howard has no apparent comparable peers.

Think about: The Phillies would probably have to submit a salary beyond Soriano’s record.

Is $15 million the starting point?

(Check out the highest 25 salaries in baseball last year, courtesy of USA Today, and remember that thoes deals are based mostly on free agency and only serve to set the ecomony, not precedent.)

Miguel Cabrera won his first year of arbitration, scoring a salary of $7.5-million, and now that he’s at first base he may help set the tone with his new contract that paid him $11.3 million this past season and pays him $15 million in 2009. That sort of helps. But no title. No MVP. No 153 homers in three full seasons.

Back in the late 1990s a younger player at a more demanding position than Howard’s was coming off a World Series championship with a team that won 125 games. This player finished third in the American League MVP voting that year, and of course Derek Jeter came out of his arbitration hearing smiling, according to this Buster Olney report in The New York Times. Jeter won a decision of $5 million, a raise from $750,000. The next winter, same thing. Jeter, a Rookie of the Year earlier in his career like Howard, was coming off another World Series win and the Yankees avoided arbitration with him by splitting the difference with a $10-million contract.

(They were reportedly negotiating a seven-year, $118.5-million deal at the time.)

Jeter didn’t win the World Series MVP either year, though he did hit .353 in each World Series win. He already fit the face-of-the-franchise mold and, sure, played the more valuable position of shortstop. But Howard has the home runs, and we all love the home runs.

Jeter and Howard also share something else — the same agent. Casey Close represents Howard, and he is the Lafayette High slugger’s third agent in his young career. Like the two before, Close will presumably attempt to negotiate a long-term deal with Philadelphia. And who wouldn’t? While fascinating on the sidelines, another round of arbitration would be price.

“All bets are off at this point,” one baseball insider said.

***

Yes, in related news, Phillies general manager Pat Gillick is still retiring. His contract expires Friday. … And, lookee, lookee who may be interested in signing Mark Mulder.

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