The Phillies and first baseman Ryan Howard may be nearing an ugly divorce. After being benched for the second straight game, the former National League MVP doesn't look to be part of the present or future in Philadelphia.

On Thursday, despite Howard's sterling career numbers against San Francisco Giants starter Tim Hudson, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg did not have the slugger in the starting lineup. Howard owns a 1.112 career OPS in 80 career at-bats against Hudson.

The benching comes in the aftermath of a report from CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury regarding the team considering releasing Howard, who is owed $60 million through the end of the 2016 season.

After the Phillies' 2-1 win, Howard wasn't in the mood to discuss the victory, his status with the team or his playing time, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

If Sandberg isn't interested in playing Howard on an everyday basis, his monstrous contract becomes an albatross on the Phillies bench. With $25 million guaranteed for both 2015 and 2016, along with a $10 million buyout before the 2017 season, it's impossible to imagine any team trading for the former perennial MVP candidate.

After averaging 50 home runs and 143 runs batted in from 2006-2009, Howard has slumped to post just a .682 OPS this season. Even with run scoring down around baseball, Philadelphia's highest-paid player is performing 10 percent below league average.

That leaves an intriguing, yet expensive, option for the front office in Philadelphia.

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