Cutting Ryan Howard May Be Philadelphia Phillies' Only Option

Ryan Howard owns a contract that’s been eating a hole through the Philadelphia Phillies‘ checkbook for years and few expected that he would last another full season with the club. His power could be a potential asset to a contending club in the American League. Unfortunately for the Phillies, cutting the veteran may be their only option at this point.

To the surprise of all who follow the league, Philadelphia is a contender in the NL East. A record of 25-20 has them sitting just two games back of the Washington Nationals, and in a division in which everyone has had periods of inconsistency, they may be a legitimate threat.

Howard has been a dark spot on an otherwise overachieving team this season, as he’s been hitting at just a .156 clip through 40 games. His eight home runs ties him for the team lead with Maikel Franco, but he’s been a relatively easy out in most situations.

His power is what may make him attractive to another club. Normally a team can look past a lousy batting average if a player can provide instant offense, but if he continues to record outs at the rate he has been, he’ll be a liability.

Howard signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Phillies in 2012, which means he’s in the final year. It’s widely considered to be the worst deal in MLB history, and there’s no chance Philadelphia will opt to bring him back. They were obviously hoping to get value in return for the 36-year-old first baseman, but there will likely be very little interest. With the Phillies still in contention, they won’t want an ineffective player in the lineup. If he can’t pull his average closer to .250 rather than .150 by the end of June, the team should move on entirely.