From the Rumors Section:
O's checking on Howard?
You probably didn't notice -- and really, there was no reason for you to have done so -- but in Monday's game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Batlimore Orioles, Ryan Howard had a pair of singles. So why was this noteworthy?
According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, the Orioles were paying very close attention to Howard's performance as his sources say Baltimore is "keeping an eye on Howard this spring."
As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote over the weekend, Howard is certainly available via trade, but "his play has declined because of Achilles' issues and he's owed $60 million. The Phillies have tried to shop him, and are willing to take on most of the money, but there have been no takers. In a perfect world, the Phillies would use Darin Ruf at first base, but now he's slated to play left field with Howard at first."
Current Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is speaking out about how he isn't keen on re-signing with the team going forward. Meanwhile, Baltimore did have talks regarding Howard in December, and as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported at the time, they are one of the eight teams on the slugger's "pre-approved list for trades."
