Not that any such deal would ever happen, but if the Boston Red Sox were to have trade interest in Ryan Howard, they would be in luck.
The Red Sox are one of only nine teams the Philadelphia Phillies “slugger” can be traded to without his consent, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported Tuesday, citing a source familiar with Howard’s contract. That means two-thirds of Major League Baseball is pretty much off the table for the Phillies, who are understandably eager to deal the declining first baseman.
Howard’s list is strategically populated by teams that either have no need for a designated hitter/first baseman or do not have the money to take on Howard’s $25 million salary in each of the next two seasons, Crasnick notes.
The teams left off Howard’s no-trade list reportedly include the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and the entire American League East except the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 2006 NL Most Valuable Player batted .223 with 23 home runs, 95 RBI and 190 strikeouts last season with the Phillies.
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