Ryan Howard will soon sign a contract with the Phillies, and when that happens their payroll is expected to surpass $130 million, a club record. Last season, Philadelphia had a payroll of $112 million. General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. admitted he isn't sure the Phillies would have been able to sustain such a large increase if not for their World Series victory. "With the economics of the game, I don't know if that would have been the case," Amaro said. "It's very fortunate that we've been given the leeway to keep this team together. But the changing economics will keep having an effect, and we have to be cognizant of that." The team's 2009 payroll is expected to be among the top five in baseball.