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Yesterday, we all lived in a world where the Kansas City Royals were interested in acquiring Ryan Howard. Today, we live in a world where that is not really true, and unfortunately never was at all.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly reported earlier today that the dream is, in fact, dead.
USA Today reports that the Royals have had internal discussions about acquiring Howard from the Phillies, but a person with knowledge of the situation characterized the matter as overblown on Tuesday.
"Teams discuss every player," the person said.
"Overblown". That little glimmer of hope, that pinpoint of light at the end of the tunnel, was just an illusion. None of it was real.
The Phillies seem serious about offloading Ryan Howard this offseason, though they're more likely to find a home for the player himself while most of his contract stays with the Phillies. Salisbury's article points out that the Phillies may not find anyone interested in trading for Howard this early in the offseason, with so many viable DH options still on the market. The Phillies will have to wait until someone gets desperate.