First baseman Ryan Howard, 33 years old and still suffering lingering effects of an Achilles injury suffered in Game Five of the 2011 NLDS, should be on the trading block according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. The lefty slugger entered tonight?s game against the Diamondbacks with a .262/.299/.476 line and is in the second year of a five-year, $125 million contract signed in April 2010.
As the Yankees? acquisition of Vernon Wells shows, moving an albatross contract isn?t impossible. The Angels are paying $9.5 million this year and $18.6 million next year for Wells to play in the Bronx. The Phillies would similarly have to assume a very large portion of Howard?s remaining contract.
Murphy writes:
The Phillies are going to be paying Howard regardless, and with a free-agent market that features potential replacements like Mike Morse, Corey Hart, Mark Reynolds and a gaggle of bounce-back candidates, the Phillies could pay Howard the bulk of his salary to play for another team and use the remaining dollars to sign a capable replacement. This is about the talent the Phillies need at the premium positions that they are going to need to fill, and if trading Howard and eating a significant chunk of dollars can land them a potential second baseman or third baseman or shortstop of the future, they would be wise to move heaven and earth to make it happen.
The Phillies, if they continue dragging their feet, will head towards the deadline with the ability to trade free agents-to-be Chase Utley, Michael Young, Roy Halladay, along with Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon, both under long-term contracts, potentially. Howard could be among them as well.
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