Philadelphia Phillies: Time for Ryan Howard to Hang It Up

It is always sad to watch a player hang on for far too long, as they become a shadow of themselves before they are shown the door. Right now, Philadelphia Phillies Ryan Howard is not even a shell of his former self. It is time to hang up the cleats.

There was a time when Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was among the most feared sluggers in baseball. In a seven year span from 2005 through 2011, Howard averaged 41 home runs and 123 RBI with a .275/.368/.560 batting line. He was a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, and a three time All-Star, one of the best true power hitters in the game.

Since 2011, Howard has not been close to the same hitter. Yes, he is still hitting for power when healthy, but that is about all he can contribute at this point. He has had only one season with a batting average over .230, or an OPS+ over 100, in the past five seasons. Of course, that production is also contingent on his actually being in the lineup, as his injury woes and general ineffectiveness have made that a questionable proposition as well.

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Now, with the Phillies going through their rebuild, Howard is no longer an every day player. Sporting an utterly pathetic .151/.215/.349 batting line heading into last night’s games, Howard’s OPS+ of 48 is even worse than what Omar Infante “produced” this season. Yes, he has eleven home runs this year, but if Howard is not putting the ball over the fence, his -1.5 oWAR shows exactly how useless he has been on the field.

In the last year of his contract, and with a $10 Million buyout for next year if his $23 Million team option is not picked up, Howard is in his final months as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Even that is far more time than Howard should be spending in a Phillies uniform, as his presence on the roster is blocking another younger player from getting a chance to potentially contribute at the Major League level, with an eye to finding building blocks for the future.

Now, given his stature in Philadelphia, and his legacy of one of the key pieces of the Phillies resurgence at the end of the 2000’s, it is unlikely that he will be given the ignoble end of being released. However, he simply does not serve a purpose for the Phillies right now.

With that being the case, the best option may be for Howard to retire. This would allow him to retain what little dignity he would have left in his playing career after the disaster that has been 2016. Yet, he would get to say that he left the game on his terms, knowing that it was time to walk away when he could no longer produce at the level of a viable major leaguer.

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The Philadelphia Phillies are in a tough spot with Ryan Howard and his inability to perform at a level even remotely resembling a competent player. A planned retirement, with Howard accepting a position within the organization, may be the best option for both sides.