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Yes, you read the title correctly. There is a rumor swirling around, saying that the Phillies and Rays are talking about a potential Ryan Howard-David Price swap. Click on this link (http://www.620wdae.com/media/podcast-ron-and-ians-podcasts-RonandIan/ryan-howard-for-david-price-1114-23974414/) to hear a few gentlemen from a Tampa Bay radio station talk about this rumor.
If you have watched any baseball recently, then you probably don’t understand this rumor. Ryan Howard is an injury prone first baseman that is going to be 34 years old on November 19th. He doesn’t even produce too much when he is healthy. He’s also on an extremely expensive contract, that’s very player friendly. David Price on the other hand, is a very talented starting pitcher that is 28 years old right now. He doesn’t get injured a lot, and he has been a good pitcher for most of his career. At first glance this rumor is really puzzling, but it’s not as crazy as you might think; the Phillies would most likely eat half of Ryan Howard’s contract in a deal involving David Price. That would really help the Rays, because they have a low budget. The Phillies would probably be giving up a decent prospect as well, so this rumor isn’t as far fetched as it may seem.
The Rays haven’t really had much production from their designated hitters recently, and Ryan Howard does seem like the ideal DH if he can stay healthy. That is a big if, but if he’s not going to be playing in the field, then the likelihood of him getting injured goes down. He hasn’t even been 100% healthy for a long time, because the Phillies always rush him back and re-injures himself because he didn’t heal fully. If the Rays let him get back to 100% health, which he should be before the 2014 season, then he could have a decent season.
This rumor doesn’t really make sense as far as player talent goes, but both players would fit well with the team that they could be traded to. I’m not saying that this rumor makes a lot of sense to me, but I am saying that if a Ryan Howard for David Price swap occurs, don’t be that surprised. David Price would be a great addition to the Phillies’ pitching staff, and Ryan Howard would be a nice addition to the Rays’ lineup.
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