Flashback Friday: Ryan Howard

The Pirates played their opening day game against the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday and lost to the cross state rivals, 1-0. The Phillies only managed to put up one run, but that most likely would have changed had Ryan Howard been in the lineup. Howard's currently injured and probably won't be back until late May/early June, but anyone who follows baseball outside the Pirates definitely knows Howard has been a top power hitter in the league the past five or six seasons. Howard's been a Phillie his whole career, but not many people remember when the Pirates had a chance to acquire him back in 2004 AND 2005.

The rumors started up in 2004 when the Pirates and Phillies were talking about a potential trade in which Philadelphia would send the slugger to Pittsburgh in return for Kris Benson. This deal was not talked about nearly as much as the next one, but rumor has it, the Pirates could have had him. The Phillies owners have denied it in the past that they offered this deal, but there were multiple people that said they did. If they did, the Pirates passed up on acquiring Ryan Howard for a guy who isn't even in the league anymore, and has a career record under .500.

I gave my whole run down on Ryan Howard in Flashback Friday: 2001 Draft, so incase you are not familiar with what he's been able to acomplish, check that out.

The Benson for Howard trade was not as big of a deal as this next one. The Summer of 2005 rolled around and the Bucs were in search of a left handed power bat, which they had been looking for since PNC Park had opened. The Phillies were searching for a starting pitcher, and that's when there were serious talks about a potential Ryan Howard for Kip Wells trade. Howard had requested to be traded out of Philadelphia, earlier that season, due to Jim Thome blocking his chances of starting. The Pirates decided to decline that offer and stick with the struggling Brad Eldred, a player who went on to hit fifteen career homers with a batting average barely above .200. So much for that left handed power bat. Kip Wells went on to post a 8-18 record that season and had an ERA above five and we all know what ended up happening for Howard, which once again you can check out here.

There have been now three times in which the Pirates have turned down an opprouinity to acquire Ryan Howard, and they definitely won't get another. Just think where the Pirates would be sitting had they traded away a mediocre player for a soon to be powerhouse.