Report: Phillies offered Howard, Byrd to Orioles
The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly looking to free themselves from the ill-fated deal they inked declining slugger Ryan Howard to.
Howard, who is owed $25 million in each of the next two seasons, and outfielder Marlon Byrd were offered as a package to the Baltimore Orioles, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.
The 35-year-old Howard has a $23-million club option for 2017 that comes with a $10-million buyout, guaranteeing him another $60 million, which, combined with his recent performance, is likely to scare teams off. The Phillies would almost certainly have to adsorb some of his salary in any deal.
Howard's career has trended south since a strong four-year stretch beginning in 2006 when he earned the National League MVP award for blasting a league-leading 58 homers and 149 RBIs to accompany a robust .313/.425/.659 slash line. The three-time All-Star hit .278/.379/.589 with a major league-best 198 home runs from 2006-09, leading the Phillies to sign him to a lucrative five-year, $125-million extension in April 2010.
But starting that season, Howard's production has slipped, and he was limited to under 100 games in both 2012 and 2013 to injury.
| Year | HR | OBP | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 31 | .353 | .859 |
| 2011 | 33 | .346 | .835 |
| 2012 | 14 | .295 | .718 |
| 2013 | 11 | .319 | .784 |
| 2014 | 23 | .310 | .690 |
Byrd, meanwhile, has strung together a pair of productive seasons after a disastrous 2012 year, which included a 50-game ban for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
The 37-year-old, who is owed $8 million in 2015 and has an $8-million team option for 2016, has hit .277/.323/.476 with 49 homers over the last two seasons.
Baltimore is in need of offense after losing Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis, a pair of key contributors in 2014, to free agency.