Photo Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

When the Phillies had talked about the possibility of moving Ryan Howard in the offseason, there was always the understanding that the they would have to eat some of his salary to do so. That’s still the deal, and how much salary are they willing to gobble up? About $50 million.

According to Sports on Earth’s Anthony Castrovince, the Phillies have been “telling (uninterested) teams they’re willing to swallow a significant chunk of the $60 million still owed to Howard over the next two years,” namely $50 million of that $60 million, giving Ryan Howard a yearly salary (for the receiving team) about $1.5 million more than what the Phils are currently paying Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. That’s a steal … probably.

The time to move Howard might be coming to an end, but if he opens up the season with a strong showing, and the Phillies are still willing to eat that sum of money, he could be on his way out. And just to think, 2015 could be the year we finally get some return on Ryan Howard.