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Report: Howard expected to finish season with Phillies

Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports

After trying to deal Ryan Howard for the better part of the last two seasons, it appears the former All-Star slugger will finish out his mammoth contract as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Howard's recent hot streak has likely caught the eye of teams looking to add a power bat, though the Phillies are expected to keep him on for the remainder of the season as he serves as a mentor to the rebuilding organization's younger players, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

The 36-year-old has seen his playing time cut drastically this season and lost his starting job at first base. While his full body of work this year has been abysmal, Howard is slashing .394/.444/.909 with five homers in 10 games this month and has drawn rave reviews from his general manager for his attitude in the clubhouse.

"I know especially early in the year, it was a trying year for him," GM Matt Klentak said. "To see the way that he has handled all of that, and continued to grind, continued to work hard and to earn the playing time and now to be performing as well as he is for the last month or so, it's a really good story. If this is in fact Ryan's last year in Philadelphia, he's helping to write a nice end to it."

Howard has spent his entire 13-year career in Philadelphia and is in the final season of a five-year, $125-million extension signed in 2010. The Phillies own a $23-million team option for 2017, though Zolecki believes they'll exercise the $10-million buyout and cut ties.

After parting ways with a number of veterans in recent years, Howard and catcher Carlos Ruiz are the only two players remaining from the Phillies' 2008 World Series title.

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