Amaro: Ryan Howard will have to earn Phillies' starting 1B job
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. stood by his recent comments on the future of Ryan Howard, reiterating that he'll have to earn the team's starting job at first base if he's with the Phillies this season, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.
"I think that if Ryan's with us, and he's likely to be with us in spring training, I think Ryan's got to prove to us that he's ready to play every day at first base for us. I mean I'm kind of looking forward to him being ready and healthy and contributing. Right now, there's nobody really that can unseat him."
Howard led the majors last season in strikeouts. He slashed .223/.310/.380 with 23 homers and 95 RBI over 569 at-bats in his first full season in three years. He is under contract through the 2016 season and is set to make $25 million the next two seasons. He also has a $23 million team option for 2017, which includes a $10 million buyout.
