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It’s time for the Phillies to release Ryan Howard
- Updated: May 24, 2016
11:19 PM ET
Ryan Howard is second on the Philadelphia Phillies’ all-time home run list and third on the RBI list. He’s won an MVP Award, helped them win the 2008 World Series and averaged 50 home runs and 143 RBIs per season from 2006 to 2009.
It’s been seven years since Howard was one of the game’s elite power hitters. He last slugged .500 in 2010. He last drove in 100 runs in 2011. He wasn’t that valuable those seasons — he was worth 1.2 WAR each season — but at least he still hit 30 home runs, knocked in a hundred and provided a threat in the middle of the lineup. He blew out his Achilles in the 2011 postseason. Then his five-year, $125 million contract extension — signed early in the 2010 season — kicked in when he was 32 years old.
The contract was instantly criticized from the moment he signed it. “MLB’s New Worst Contract” was the headline on SB Nation. “Statistics Suggest Ryan Howard’s Deal Is Too Long” was the headline in the New York Times. The contract turned out even worse than predicted. Since 2012, Howard has been worth minus-3.9 WAR; only Jeff Francoeur has …
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