Howard not retiring after being cut by Braves: 'By no means am I done'

Ryan Howard is putting a quick end to any retirement chatter.

The former National League MVP was released from his minor-league contract with the Atlanta Braves on Monday, but despite being 37 years old and without a club well into the 2017 season, he intends to continue his career.

"By no means am I done," Howard told Meghan Montemurro of The News Journal over the phone Friday. "My plans haven't changed to try and play.

"My mindset with that hasn't changed at all."

Prior to signing a minor-league deal with the Braves in the offseason, Howard spent 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he won Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in 2005 and 2006, respectively. He was also a massive factor in the club's World Series-winning campaign in 2008, playing in all 162 games of the regular season that year and finishing runner-up in MVP voting.

Though he's far removed from his prime, he still has a spot in his heart for the City of Brotherly Love. He's now a partner with a venture capital firm nearby in Pennsylvania.

"Playing in Philly, the appreciation of the things that we were able to do on the field are second to none," Howard told Montemurro. "I hope doing this venture and doing it in the Philadelphia area that it has that same effect."