Should the O’s Kick the Tires on Ryan Howard?

Ryan Howard was one of the most feared power hitters in the NL just a few years ago, putting together a four-year stretch where he hit at least 45 home runs every season.

However, the Philadelphia star is now 35 years old, and has struggled to stay healthy the last few seasons. His average has also dropped, as he managed just a .223 average last season.

The Phillies have been looking to move Howard for some time now and announced that they would cover most of the $50 million remaining on his contract over the next two seasons.

So should the Orioles bring in the power hitter and plug him in at the first base/designated hitter spots?

Baltimore is locked down at first base with Chris Davis and he will be mixed in with Steve Pearce. Also, Delmon Young will get a lot of time at the designated hitter position. The Orioles could use a hitter like Howard though, who bats on the left side, to come off the bench and start against just right-handed pitchers.

Howard has struggled against left-handed pitching, as he owns a .200 average against lefties in the last three years, according to ESPN.com.

However, he also has the ability to hit bombs that have gone farther than the Beatles’ career (I kid – little joke between our founder, Tony Lombardi, and me).

You won’t see the first baseman who once hit 58 home runs for the Phillies, but Howard still has the potential to hit 25 at Camden Yards. He has never been a high-average hitter (aside from a couple of outlier seasons), but is a player that can change the game with one swing of the bat.

It’s hard to say what the Phillies will want for Howard, as the team is going through a rebuilding process and is only trying to dump his salary. That means they won’t want someone like Ubaldo Jimenez, who the Orioles are going to have a hard time selling.

Howard will likely cost Baltimore a low-end prospect at this point in his career, but that would be a low-risk deal. The best outcome would be that Howard hits at least 20 home runs and is able to change the outcome of a few games this season. The worst outcome is he gets hurt or just isn’t able to hit well in the AL, meaning fans will cringe at Subway commercials for the next year.

The Orioles don’t need to make the move, but it’s something to at least check into as Howard still has a powerful bat.

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