Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is entering the final month of his contract with the team, so he doesn’t understand why they are cutting his playing time.
According to a report by Bob Ford of Philly.com on Wednesday, Howard recently learned that manager Pete Mackanin intends to play him less in the last month of the 2016 season so that platoon partner Tommy Joseph, a 25-year-old rookie, can spend more time facing right-handed pitching. The three-time All-Star doesn’t quite agree with the decision.
“You’re talking about an evaluation process of where you’ve gotten to see players this year play,” Howard, who has all but announced that he won’t be returning to the Phillies next season, was quoted as saying. “And you’ll have another opportunity to see those same players play again next year and I won’t be here. So, for me, I just want to play. I don’t necessarily think it’s right or fair, considering this is my last month here, but it is interesting.
“The manager shouldn’t have to answer the question in the media,” Howard went on. “I think that’s something that you talk to your players about. That’s one thing. Having to answer that question as far as the evaluation process, for me it’s tough. I’m not going to sit here and lie. I’ve got one more month here and I just want to play and finish out playing. So, it’s like I’m just trying to do my time, finish out this last month, and try to keep playing somewhere else.”
The 36-year-old Howard has largely been awful in 2016, batting just .195/.249./.440. His power has shown up sporadically with 20 home runs and 45 RBIs on the year, but he is no longer an everyday option at first base. Still, Howard got his act together with a .314 batting average and six home runs in 16 August games. It makes sense that the former NL MVP would want to spend as much of his final stretch with the Phillies on the field as possible, while also showcasing whatever talent he has left for a potential new contract from another team this winter.
Howard is in the last official year of a five-year, $125 million extension he signed in 2010, one of the more disatrous deals in recent memory. He has a $23 million club option for 2017, but the Phillies are expected to exercise his $10 million buyout clause.
At 60-73, Philadelphia doesn’t have a lot left to play for. While it’s intuitive that Mackanin would want to get his young guys more reps before season’s end, you’d think they’d give a warmer sendoff for one of the greatest Phillies of this generation, no matter how crippling his contract has been and how much his production has slipped. Then again, it’s probably not all that surprising given the way Howard has been treated around those parts recently.
H/T theScore
