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Suddenly, Howard becomes more tradable

Ruben Amaro Jr. should not have said what he said even if he meant it and even if he was right.

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (6) singles in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. (Ron Chenoy/USA Today)
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (6) singles in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. (Ron Chenoy/USA Today)Read more

Ruben Amaro Jr. should not have said what he said even if he meant it and even if he was right.

Shortly after the Jimmy Rollins trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers was finalized, the Phillies general manager was interviewed by WPEN-FM (97.5) and uttered these infamous words: "I talked to Ryan and [told him] that in our situation that it would probably bode better for the organization for us to move forward not with him, but without him."

In addition to the awkward syntax, it was bad form to treat a player who has meant so much to the organization in that manner, although Howard has been mistreated in a much worse way by a lot of Phillies fans and some of his own family members.

Amaro actually said a lot more than that about Howard, and the rest was flattering. Good luck trying to find a headline with those words after the radio interview went viral six days before Christmas. For the record, Amaro also said, "If he's with us then we'll work around him and we hope that he'll put up the kind of numbers and the production that he can and we'll see where it goes from there."

The general manager also said, "I love the guy, I like the guy" before adding that "I think it would be better for the organization if we give the younger players opportunities."

That was not an unreasonable answer to a question about Howard's situation this winter, but Amaro was also steadfast about not releasing the 2006 National League MVP when a lot of other people, including myself, thought that option should be strongly considered.

I've heard varying stories about how much the Phillies wanted teams to eat in order to acquire Howard's services, with the high-end figure being $10 million of the remaining $60 million the first baseman is owed and the low-end figure being $2 million. Essentially, the story became that the Phillies could not give Howard away.

The great thing about sports is that stories can change.

Howard's is changing.

Credit the man's approach more than anything. We're not talking about any adjustments he made in the batters' box, although he did make some. We're talking about how he handled all the negativity that swirled for so long around him. Instead of picking a fight with his general manager in spring training, he graciously accepted Amaro's apology.

Instead of copping "a-woe-is-me" attitude, he made it clear from the first time he spoke in spring training that he wanted only positive vibes around him. He maintained that approach even as the groans grew louder when he was batting .175 without a home run through the season's first 11 games.

And it was still in place Thursday morning in Denver, when he said he awoke to find this quote that he shared via Instagram: Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!

If that's what Howard is reading these days, it sounds as if he has a healthy mind and perhaps that is even more important than the healing process that took place in the torn Achilles tendon that so altered the course of his career.

It is a small sampling, of course, but since hitting his first home run this season on April 21 against Miami, Howard has batted .290 with five doubles, a triple, nine home runs, and 19 RBIs in 28 games. His on-base percentage in that time frame was .343 and his slugging percentage .630, giving him a .973 OPS.

Those are the kinds of numbers that should attract the attention of scouts, especially ones working for American League teams. The Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels both appear to have a desperate need for a designated hitter and, at the moment, Howard would be one of the best in the game at that position.

It's difficult to say how much of Howard's remaining contract the Phillies would have to eat right now to make a trade, but that number should go down if the slugger's numbers continue to go up. The fact that the Phillies would be better off moving on without him has not changed, but that's a reflection of the team's condition and not a player who has chosen to make the best of his own situation.