Phillies GM apologizes to Ryan Howard

When Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. began to dismantle his roster earlier this offseason, the executive publicly remarked that his rebuilding club would be better off without first baseman Ryan Howard.

Months later, however, Amaro called the three-time All-Star into his office to offer him an apology.

"Frankly, I apologized for those comments that I made that were public," Amaro told Ryan Lawrence of Philly.com. "And I think he appreciated that. Other than that, I want to keep the conversation private. It was a good talk."

This winter, Amaro began to jettison some of his aging team's veteran players, and hoped to unload Howard - and the $60 million remaining on his contract - before the season, as well.

Despite Amaro's efforts, Howard is poised to begin his 12th season with the Phillies barring an improbable trade over the next few weeks. Though Howard no longer resembles the player who averaged 44 home runs and a 139 OPS+ from 2006 to 2011, Amaro remains impressed by the aging slugger's work ethic even as his production wanes.

"I think he's motivated (all the time)," Amaro said. "He's a competitive guy, he wants to do well for the Phillies. He wants to help us win. And I think that’s never really changed - he's always been that guy. … He plays with passion, he wants to do well. I think people have to understand that. This is not somebody that is a negative force. This is a guy who's always been a very positive person. Great teammate. Good person for the younger players to be around. Never had any issues."