Multiple sources said the Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners expressed some interest in trading for Ryan Howard while he was still a minor league player, but none ever really stepped up with a serious offer. "I remember one specific conversation with one general manager," former Phillies general manager Ed Wade said in a telephone interview Monday. "We were talking about their best young player, who would have fit a position of need for us. [The general manager] said, 'He's hit a lot of home runs in double A, but remember Sam Horn.' That was the comment I got back. He couldn't wait to get off the phone with me."