The Philadelphia Phillies have already parted ways with perhaps their most beloved veteran, Jimmy Rollins. First baseman Ryan Howard, who has witnessed a significant decline in his performance, could be gone before the 2015 season.
Phillies' general manager Ruben Amaro spoke with Mike Missanelli of 97.5 The Fanatic and mentioned a previous conversation he had with Howard. Amaro was pretty blunt when he said, "... in our situation it would probably bode better for the organization not with him but without him." This came as no surprise because Howard is owed $60 million over the next two seasons and the Phillies are looking to rebuild after missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons.
Whether Philadelphia is going to trade Howard or release him is unknown, but Matt Lombardo of NJ.com notes it would be "wise" to find a potential trade partner "sooner rather than later" because Howard's full 10 and 5 rights (accumulation of 10 years of service time) will kick in this May and allow him to veto any trade. However, ESPN's Buster Olney thinks that might not matter because "some rival executives fully expect that the Phillies will release (Howard) in the weeks ahead if they cannot find a taker."
A number of teams would be willing to take a gamble on Howard and his salary, but they surely wouldn't want to give up anything in return for the slugger who has batted just .233 with 48 home runs and 194 RBIs in 304 games. Although his power numbers have been fairly solid, they're certainly not worth $30 million per year.
However, there is some up side with the 35-year-old. He ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2012 and was then limited in 2013 because of a torn meniscus that required surgery. In 2014 he was apparently dealing with a family legal fight over the control of his finances and was sued by his twin brother for $2.7 million. If the physical and mental struggles are behind him, he could have a big year in 2015.
