Chicago Cubs among the five teams pursuing J. P. Howell – MLB News
Offseason cannot be more eventful than this.
Rumours had it on Tuesday, December 18, that the Chicago Cubs are among the five teams interest in reliever J. P. Howell. The free agent reliever is being pursued by Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.
There were already some indications that the reliever had attracted attention. However, with the Cubs’ name being among the interested teams, this makes it abundantly clear that the Cubs’ seek to reorient the bullpen for the coming years.
After the finalization of the agreement that secured the South Korean pitcher Chang-Yong Lim, Howell could prove to be an invaluable addition to the bullpen given the years of experience he has.
Although no major transaction has yet been seen, Howell’s addition – if he really agrees to the deal, will provide some strength to the Cubs’ bullpen.
Scepticism may well fill the discourse, the Cubs – at a time when they are in building phase, can have a relatively stronger bullpen than the one seen last season. After all, the relievers being pursued have a lot to offer in terms of consistency, effectiveness
and power coupled with experience.
Howell comes with six years of experience. This past season, he pitched in 55 games, posting 3.04 ERA. His career ERA stands at 4.42 in 267 games with a total of 33 starts, winning 21 games and losing 23.
It was in 2008-09 that he commanded attention with his good performance. But ensuring shoulder surgery in 2010 resulted in his losing the entire season. The following year, then, brought about 6.16 ERA in 30 2/3 innings that actually was unsettling for the
pitcher. But 2012 remained relatively different with some improvement that could easily be seen.
After the Cubs signed Chang-Yong Lim, who has yet to be added to the roster, Howell – like said earlier, could be a good addition to the team if only the Cubs succeed in striking a contract with the reliever.
The Cubs’ fans, goes without saying, will eagerly wait to see the end result of this pursuit – which also involves some other big teams.
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