The Braves have released Ryan Howard, per a club announcement. He had joined the organization recently on a minor-league deal.
Howard, 37, headed to Triple-A after getting ready for the season. But he struggled through his first 42 plate appearances there, hitting just .184/.238/.263 with a single home run and 11 strikeouts.
Once named the National League’s Most Valuable Player, Howard’s strikeout issues and inability to hit lefties have steadily overtaken his power over recent years. Though he swatted 25 home runs in just 362 plate appearances last year in his final campaign with the Phillies, Howard managed only a .196 batting average and .257 on-base percentage on the season.
Time to Retire?
Long Island Ducks with Gagné, Japanese Indie ball with Manny, there are options. Just not glamorous options.
His career is over. Great career but he just fell off in recent years. Best of luck
Not really a “great” career.
He won an MVP, Rookie of the Year, World Series ring, and an NLCS MVP award. He’s also made millions of dollars. What about that isn’t a great career?
BOOM!
For real serious real fast. Not saying I disagree though.
Got*
Great is a subjective word I guess. While all the things you said are true about him, he had one tool, power. He won all those awards (except World Series ring which is due to Phillies being great at the time) thanks to that one tool. He got paid because of that (which was considered a huge mistake). Yes, he achieved ultimately glory and got paid and all but great career?, I don’t agree with that statement. Now Buster Posey (who also has won MVP, ROY, 3 rings, is getting paid) has had a great career.
Posey is too young to say he’s had a great career. Maybe this is just my opinion but I think he’s a baby. The MLB changed the rules just to cater to him because he got hurt. I give him the World Series but he was just one piece. They are better collectively than individually.
@DimnitrinLA 6 years in a row 30 or more hr & 100 or more rbi’s, and 4 years 20 or more hr and 50 or more rbi’s, and you said “not really a great career”. Do you know anything about baseball?
While that isn’t a good performance, and he hasn’t performed in awhile. I wonder if the cards would give him AAA at bats
I don’t see his usefulness really.. While the Cards lack a single raw power player, I think he wouldn’t have an obvious place, even at AAA.
Or with an NL team, he’s only a DH if anything.
yea that’s what STL needs, another lumbering non slugging slugger
And the curtain comes down.
Likely hall of gamer
Famer
Bahahahaha, Ryan Howard a hall of famer, that’s a good one. Not a chance. Why would he get in? Hits? No. RBI’s? No. HR’s? No. War? No. SB’s No. He had 6 or 7 pretty good years, but no hall of famer.
Is that a joke?
uh, what?
he might make the phillie hall of fame and the hall of shame
If you take the span of a few years he was absolutely dominant. You take his whole career and it was average. I don’t think you put him in the hall of shame unless any of us can go hit a ball 330 feet as many times as he did.
Fangraphs rates him as a career 19.4 WAR with just 3 seasons above 3.
For a guy whose claim to fame is power, you need at least one of the following
400 Home Runs (RH=382)
1500 RBI’s (RH=1194)
2000 hits (RH=1475)
He had a great career- the number 6 is likely to be retired in Philly, and we will never forget all he has done for the city, but he’s not hall of fame.
Only hall of famers numbers have been retired by phillies. Probably won’t be worn again but no way officially retired.
I think they make an exception for Rollins
Rollins has to get in the hall of fame. I think he deserves it.
While the numbers you posted are good (400, 1500, 2000) they are in no way a sure thing if you only get one of them. For example Andruw Jones has 434 homers, 1289 rbi’s, 1933 hits, as well as playing excellent defense for most of his career, and stealing 152 bases too. Jones had a far superior overall career ( 62.8 bWAR compared to Howard’s 14.8) and few people expect him to get into the HoF.
But your overall sentiment is correct. Howard is no hall of famer.
No way
What if he never ruptured that achiles? Man, he was something else in his prime.
Even as a Phillies fan I can’t agree with you. Had a good run of years but a HOF spot needs to have 10 years of production commensurate of what he did in 6.
Low risk signing that didn’t pan out. I wish him nothing but a wonderful retirement.
Giants … Giants …
Stop it
Wait a minute, how can this be? I was told (insisted, even) he was their best option available and was just about to be called up merely like a week or so ago by a Braves fan on here
Anyway, no surprise sadly. Worst bat in the majors last five years. I understand it’s hard to say goodbye to the game, but the game can’t scream reality much louder at a guy.
Thanks for the memories, Mr. Howard, and I wish you well on your next endeavor
I know… I’m still waiting for the Braves to pull the trigger on the Freddie Freeman trade that another Braves fan predicted here when Howard signed his minor-league deal.
I remember that as well. Also something about keeping Freddie and moving him to 3rd which he played in high school. He’s left handed
The Pirates should give him a go…….
Agreed. They need some pop in that lineup. Put him in AAA and see if he can work out his swing with a little more playing time.
Never understood this signing. Since blocked by Freeman I assumed he was to be used as a DH for inter league play.
low risk, low dollar. if he mashes, you DH him and trade him for a raw 17 year with physical tools. if he doesnt, no loss
He should go to Korea, hit 80 HRs, and sign back in the US for 15 million next year.
He should stop by Kyles place for a taste!
Honestly, Mets should sign him. We need a good 1B right now.
“we need a good 1B right now”
this is why you shouldn’t sign him
Well, I knew he couldn’t do much, but I did wanna see him in the uniform one time. Oh well, back to losing.
Where’s the guy from the braves
That says braves get him
190 mill earnings and 380 HR most people would take that
I was puzzled as to why he even tried coming back…I’d like to think he doesn’t need the money…IMHO..all he can do is to embarrass himself.. Guy has a huge mansion in Fla and a beautiful wife..enjoy your retirement.
It’s like gambling or any other addiction. Some guys just don’t know when to quit
And on the other hand some people love the game, so they try to keep playing because it’s in their heart.
Wish him luck, if I were him I would keep swinging until I was playing beer league softball , beats bagging groceries
I think troll (nice name, btw) was alluding to the controversial five year $125 million he was given. Howard did not age well and is the poster boy of “bad contracts” & “bad moves by Amaro” by saying Howard belonged in the “Hall of Shame”. Not that I agree