The hot stove season for the Philadelphia Phillies continues to push out rumor after rumor. The latest rumor comes from Tampa radio station WDAE 620, which has the Phillies and Rays discussing a swap of Ryan Howard and a prospect for David Price.
This deal seems too good to be true for Phillies fans as Howard is far from what he used to be and Price seems to be just hitting his prime. The team would get back a stud pitcher to group with Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee for the next two seasons for another World Series run.
The Rays could use a solid bat in the middle of their lineup, and Howard recently had a home built in the Tampa area, so some pieces seem to be falling in place. Of course, the kicker for a deal like this to get done would have the Phillies paying at least half of the salary remaining on Howard’s contract and adding a top prospect to sweeten the deal.
I still cannot tell if this story is just smoke or if there is actually some legitimacy to it. After the last two injury-prone seasons for Howard, I cannot look at this as something Tampa would do; but, then again, getting rid of Howard to clear room for Darrin Ruf at first base, and picking up a stud pitcher in the process, could make the Phils relevant again. More on this rumor is sure to come.
