Free agency changed baseball forever. If you are a major league baseball player, its implementation in 1976 was the greatest thing to come along in the 147-year history of the game. If you are an owner of a major league baseball team, it is the worst. That being said, it was the owners who brought about the inevitability of free agency and they have only themselves to blame.

Until 1976, MLB owners had complete control over their players’ salaries and trades or sale to other teams – a privilege guaranteed to them by the 137-year-old reserve clause – which had successfully survived several challenges by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But that all changed on December 24, 1969 when St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood challenged the obsolete and extremely unfair reserve clause with MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn after learning that he had been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies after his contract with the Cardinals had expired. But under the reserve clause, Flood was not even allowed to negotiate a new contract with his new team.

Flood’s challenge made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where, on June 19, 1972, the justices once again ruled in favor of MLB owners by a 5-3 margin. However, in their ruling the justices admitted that the original grounds for the antitrust exemption were tenuous at best, and for the first time acknowledged that baseball was indeed “interstate commerce” and that the exemption for the MLB (but not for the NFL, NHL and NBA) was “an anomaly.” It was the Supreme Court’s way of warning MLB owners that unless they made some serious revisions to the existing reserve clause, it was doomed.

They did not.

Although Curt Flood lost his U.S. Supreme Court challenge of baseball’s 137-year-old reserve clause, his efforts led to it being repealed three years later and to the birth of free agency. (AP photo)

Sure enough, three years later in 1975 and through the extensive efforts of former Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Marvin Miller, the reserve clause was deemed illegal and free agency was born – which has since led to today’s absolutely unbelievable multi-million dollar contracts. In other words, the pendulum is now swinging in the opposite direction – in favor of the players – with no indication whatsoever that it will ever swing back. Had the owners attempted to reach some type of compromise with the MLBPA much earlier in the process, free agency would probably look somewhat different than it does today.

Enter Dodgers left-hander J.P. Howell.

Howell was initially signed by the Dodgers to a one-year / $2.85 million contract on January 4, 2013. After posting a 4-1 record and an outstanding 2.03 ERA in his first season with his new team, the then 31-year-old Modesto, CA native agreed to a two-year / $11.25 million contract extension on December 20, 2013 that included a $6.25 million player option for 2016 or a $250,000 buyout.

J.P. continued his dominance in 2014 and 2015, posting records and ERAs of 3-3, 2.39 and 6-1, 1.43 respectively. Simply put, Howell had become one of the premier left-handed relievers in the game, which undoubtedly had every other major league team hoping and praying (and expecting) the now 32-year-old to elect free agency in 2016 instead of exercising his $6.25 million option.

He did not.

Much to the surprise of everyone and to the delight of every Dodger fan on the planet, Howell elected to exercise his option and remain with the team in 2016 instead of accepting the $250,000 buyout and entering a very reliever-friendly free agent market. Where the surprise comes into play is that there is zero doubt that Howell could have landed a far more lucrative multi-year deal elsewhere (or with the Dodgers) – way more lucrative.

Getting J.P. Howell for $6.25 million is an absolute steal for the Dodgers.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

When you consider that the New York Yankees are reportedly looking to trade 30-year-old left-hander Andrew Miller, who is guaranteed $9 million for each of the next three seasons (and is what he made in 2015), you begin to see what Howell might have made as a free agent. Miller appeared in 60 games for the Yankees in 2015 (five fewer than Howell) posting a 3-2 record and 2.04 ERA; very good, but not as good as J.P. Howell.

Although there has been no word from Howell as to why he elected to exercise his option over free agency, it is quite possible that it is because he and his wife Heather – a USC grad (and where the couple met) – are very active with the Special Needs Network LA charity and their own Discover Your Path foundation. Heather has also authored several children’s books – most recently ‘The Adventures of Dangles’ – which carries an anti-bullying theme.

J.P. and Heather Howell with Areva Martin and kids from Special Needs Network LA.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

Then again, maybe J.P. just enjoys being a Dodger and being on a team that has won the NL West title in each of his three seasons in LA and sincerely believes that the Dodgers will make it to the World Series in 2016. Doing so would not only give him a shot at a World Series ring but would also significantly increase his value as a free agent next off-season.

But somehow I get the feeling that it’s not just about the money for James Phillip Howell – which certainly speaks volumes about his character.

It also makes him one in a million – and then some.