The Philadelphia Phillies have been dealing with an awkward situation with first baseman Ryan Howard for a while now. Clearly paying him a contract in excess of $125 million for what he has done in the past rather than anything he can do in the present or future, the team has still been running him out there as their first baseman, presumably partially out of a sense of obligation.
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That dynamic sounds like it is about to undergo a change, however. Manager Ryne Sandberg was candid on Wednesday when he discussed his decision to start giving other players some playing time at first base in favor of Howard.
“I know what Ryan Howard can do,” Sandberg told reporters, including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “I think it’s also important to see what other guys can do.” Sandberg also cited the importance of crafting a lineup each day that gives the Phillies the best chance to win, an effort that Howard has done little to help this season.
To understand why it took this long for Sandberg to bench Howard and his .224/.305/.377 slash line, look no further than the first baseman’s contract. Howard is making $25 million this season, the most for any position player in all of baseball. Worse yet, he is due to make that same amount, $25 million, in 2015 and 2016, according to Cot’s Contracts.
The Phillies were always going to be forced to consider other options and a future where Howard is either a well-paid platoon player or where they pay him to toil away on another team. Either way, buyer’s remorse doesn’t even begin to describe their situation.