According to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, it is unlikely that the Philadelphia Phillies will trade veteran first baseman, Ryan Howard, before seasons’ end. Although the slugger has been hot of late, the Philadelphia front office believes that it would be more beneficial to have Howard remain on the roster for the remainder of the season.
It does makes sense at this point. Any return the Phillies would receive for Ryan Howard would no longer be substantial enough to justify dealing the former franchise cornerstone. Instead, it becomes beneficial for both the club and Howard, albeit at an intrinsic level. Howard will continue to mentor this young core of Philadelphia ball players. His success, experience and intelligence will be a great help to a team that has very little experience and has had even less success.
Ryan Howard also has something to gain by remaining a Phillie. In Howard’s case, it is value. The slugging first baseman has found himself essentially in a showcase and he is making the most of it. In the month of August, the 36-year-old St. Louis native is batting .394 with 5 home runs and a .444 slugging percentage. This is sure to catch the eye of one or two teams, likely from the American League. The problem for Howard’s value as of now is that no team will bring him into a playoff race to play the field and every American League team has a solid designated hitter already in place. It is not a beneficial market for the Big Piece. However, his recent success may be enough to earn an invite to Spring Training with a team looking for power at the DH position…I’m looking at you, Boston.
No more than 2 months ago, many believed that Howard’s career was over but it seems as if the Big Piece has had a renaissance of sorts. He has become a threat once again and has shown that he still has some pop left in the bat.
