Bob Brookover: Phillies' 2016 dilemma - What to do with Ryan Howard?
Fifty-five minutes before the Eagles introduced Doug Pederson as their new head coach earlier this week in front of a packed auditorium at their practice facility, the relatively new manager of the Phillies talked about the dinosaur that will still be in the room when his team gathers for the start of spring training next month down in Clearwater, Fla.
Fifty-five minutes before the Eagles introduced Doug Pederson as their new head coach earlier this week in front of a packed auditorium at their practice facility, the relatively new manager of the Phillies talked about the dinosaur that will still be in the room when his team gathers for the start of spring training next month down in Clearwater, Fla.
The audience at Citizens Bank Park wasn't nearly as big as the one across the street, but the message might have been more interesting. Pete Mackanin made it clear that it's unlikely Ryan Howard will get many plate appearances when the Phillies face lefthanded pitching this season. He described it as a "difficult" and "hairy" situation. During a winter banquet stop in Lakewood on Wednesday, the manager reiterated how much Howard's status weighs on him.
"It's something I think about every day," Mackanin said. "I want to do what's right for Ryan, but I also want to do what's right for the team. But . . . if you want to play at this level, you have to produce. It's a bottom-line business. If you want to play a lot, then you have to play better than you've been playing. The player decides that."
Well, not always. There was a time two seasons ago when former manager Ryne Sandberg wanted to increase Darin Ruf's playing time at the expense of Howard, but the guys up in the front office nixed the idea. That might have been the beginning of the end for Sandberg when it probably should have been the end for Howard. But money talks and the fact that the Phillies still owed Howard about $72 million at the time triggered the final word, which came from the guys responsible for giving the first baseman that dubious $125 million contract.
Those guys - team president David Montgomery and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. - are no longer in power, but the Phillies are still trying to squeeze whatever they can out of Howard, which just seems silly and counterproductive at this point. The only thing the Phillies owe Howard is $35 million - $25 million for this season and the $10 million it will cost them to buy out his 2017 option - so why not just cut their ties and give Ruf an even longer look in 2016.
Instead, the Phillies are pretending Howard still has some value to them.
"Well, Howard led the team in home runs and RBIs and gives us a dimension that without him we would really be lacking in," team president Andy MacPhail said during an interview earlier this month. "He had the 14th best exit velocity as any hitter in baseball last year, so he brings something to the party on the field. Now he has other limitations - hitting lefthand pitching and defense are areas that need to be bolstered - but he brings something."
Apparently exit velocity measures bat speed. I'm sure it does not measure how fast a player gets to the exit because in Howard's case it seems to be taking forever.
Give Mackanin some credit for saying it's time to give Ruf more of a chance. The truth is it's long past time and that's not meant as a knock on Howard. This space has been used many times before to describe him as the single most important player of the franchise's second great era and that opinion will never change.
Before the banquet in Lakewood on Wednesday, Mackanin hinted that Howard would not even remain in games he started during the late innings against lefties. A year ago, he refused to lift the former National League MVP for a pinch-hitter in those situations.
"When you're an interim manager, I'm not going to be the guy that blows the whole thing out of the water," the manager said. "I don't want big issues. I don't want to be,'Who does this guy think he is?' But now I'm the guy and I'm going to do what I think is in the best interest of the team."
Even Mackanin, however, is holding out hope that a platoon with Howard and Ruf can benefit the Phillies.
"If I do choose to do that, I'd like for him to see that and say,'OK, so I'm not playing against lefties, but I feel so good against righties that I'm killing them,' " Mackanin said. "He doesn't have to worry about the other aspect of the game and with the two of them combined, we might end up with 50 home run and 150 RBIs from that position."
That's the kind of projection managers make on a cold winter's night with the season opener in Cincinnati still far away. It will be interesting to see how Howard reacts to all of this, especially since he is finding out about it second hand.
"I wanted to speak to him first before I said anything, but I've been bombarded by that question so often that I'm tired of tippy-toeing around it," Mackanin said. "Basically, I'll tell him when I see him that if you want to play more you have to hit better."
That's fair and if Howard does not think so that's too bad. In truth, a straight platoon would still leave Howard with the majority of at-bats. A year ago, the Phillies faced 38 lefthanded starters and Howard started 10 of those games. Take away the 107 plate appearances he had against lefties last season and he still ends up with more than 400 in 2016 provided he remains healthy.
Those at-bats really should be going to Ruf and other younger players in these rebuilding times, but Tyrannosaurus Rex is still alive and he will get his share of the at-bats in 2016.