from Tuesday night, pic via (@CT_Kryptonite)

from Tuesday night, pic via (@CT_Kryptonite)

So, the Phillies played last night. They played and they lost, they lost again. I think that’s four in a row, but really, who gives a fuck? They’re now 15 games under .500, which is a new low point in this festering turd of a season. Festering turd, I feel like, is a term that’s overused. It works here, though. This Phillies season is a big pile of poop that has gone bad.

The way in which they lost last night – on Hunter Pence’s bases-loaded, bases-clearing double off noted dickhead Jonathan Papelbon, who blew his second game in as many nights – would’ve, under any normal circumstance, been soul crushing. But again, who gives a fuck? We’re now about a week away from the trade deadline, and if Ruben Amaro isn’t compelled to sell (especially after some of the nasty emails he’s received), he never will be.

Papelbon is the likeliest trade candidate, but last night the Tigers traded for Joakim Soria, taking yet another potential suitor off the board.

The rumors about Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels will continue to swirl. Ruben will mark and than unmark guys as tradable and not. A couple of them will probably get moved, and the Phillies will probably come away with a bunch of B-level prospects that likely won’t amount to much.

And then there’s Ryan Howard, whom the Phillies may just straight up cut (and still pay the armored trucks of money he’s owed). Jim Salisbury reports on the heels of Ryne Sandberg benching Howard and saying that he’s open to “playing somebody else there”:

Phillies officials have spent a lot of time discussing ways to retool their disappointing team in recent weeks. Trades are on the way and there could be several before next week’s non-waiver trade deadline.

Multiple sources say the team has also discussed moving on without Howard. The team has floated his name in trade talks but Howard is owed the remainder of $25 million for this season and $60 million over the next two seasons. No team is interested in taking on that amount of money — or even part of it because the Phils know they’d have to eat a large portion of Howard’s salary — for a declining player.

The logical next step is to release Howard. Sources say team officials have discussed the possibility of paying off Howard and moving on without him after the season.

If Howard were let go, he would likely hook on with another team.

Meanwhile, Howard’s house in Florida…

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pic via reader Summer

… which literally looks like Bowser’s Castle in Mario Kart 8

Voila_Capture 2014-07-24_09-18-15_AM

… is nearing completion. The only problem is, Bowser has less trouble handling the curve.

Oh, the Phillies.