The Philadelphia Phillies are hopeful to deal first baseman Ryan Howard this offseason, but general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.'s possibilities are limited to just nine teams thanks to the struggling slugger's 20-team no-trade list.
According to ESPN, part of Howard's huge five-year, $125 million pact includes a list of 20 teams that he can block a trade to.
Per the report, the list of clubs that the Phillies can trade Howard to without his permission include the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers.
Adding to Amaro's struggles, most of the teams on this list either don't need a first baseman or designated hitter or are small market organizations that wouldn't take on Howard's deal, especially due to his struggles.
It is possible that Howard could approve a trade to one of the 20 teams on his list, but the market for him is small considering his health issues and on-field struggles.
Howard, 35, hit a woeful .223 last season through 153 games with 23 homers and 95 RBI while leading the league with 190 strikeouts. Howard's numbers were consistent with a steady decline as he hasn't hit over .270 since 2010.
Howard will make $25 million in each of the next two seasons and Amaro said trading the struggling first baseman would be best for both parties.
"We've talked to Ryan,'' Amaro told 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia per ESPN. "And I told him that in our situation it would probably bode better for the organization not with him but without him. With that said, if he's with us, then we'll work around him. We'll hope he puts up the kind of numbers that we hope he can and we'll see where it goes from there."
Howard is a five-time All-Star and won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2005 and the NL MVP Award the following season, but injuries and decline in recent years have turned him into a shell of his former self.
The Phillies are coming off of a 2014 campaign that saw them finish 73-89 for the second straight season and in last place in the NL East while missing the playoffs for a third straight year.
Philadelphia has been reluctant to commit to a rebuild in recent years, but Amaro has already dealt two veterans this offseason as shortstop Jimmy Rollins was traded to the Dodgers and reliever Antonio Bastardo to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Phillies are hopeful to deal the veteran first baseman, but Howard would have to approve a deal to 20 of the 29 other MLB teams, making Amaro's job a difficult one.
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