Toronto Blue Jays Fill Bullpen Need with Lefty J.P. Howell
By Tim Haberin
After losing Brett Cecil earlier in the offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays have attempted to shore up their bullpen by signing left-hander J.P. Howell to a one-year deal.
The Toronto Blue Jays have had a rather turbulent offseason. After the departure of one franchise mainstay (Edwin Encarnacion), and the surprise return of another (Jose Bautista), many have forgotten a key player the Jays lost toward the beginning of baseball’s free agency period. Left-handed relief pitcher Brett Cecil, who spent the last eight seasons in Toronto, signed a four-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, leaving a hole in the Jays’ bullpen.
The Blue Jays have attempted to address that vacancy by agreeing to a one-year deal with lefty reliever J.P. Howell. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports confirms the contract will pay him $3 million. Howell, an 11-year MLB veteran, has spent the last four seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Howell’s first three campaigns in L.A. were wildly successful. From 2013 to 2015, he posted a 1.97 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 2.27 K/BB ratio while averaging 52 innings per season. 2015 was his most effective year as a major leaguer by a significant margin, as he managed a 1.43 ERA and 259 ERA+ (both career bests) over 44 frames.
The 2016 season was a definite step backward, however. Howell put up a 4.09 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 50.2 innings of work. Was the 33-year-old starting to slip? Perhaps, but the Jays can take heart in a few signs that last season may have been a bit unlucky for Howell. Many of his peripheral stats, including his 3.50 FIP, were very much in line with his 2015 numbers. So while the lefty may have been fortunate to generate a 1.43 ERA that year, he was also probably better than the 4.09 mark he logged last season.
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In any case, Howell should be a decent replacement for Cecil as a primary left-handed option in a bullpen that was running short on southpaws aside from Aaron Loup. The 30-year-old Cecil had somewhat of a down year in 2016 as well, posting a 3.93 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 36.2 innings as he dealt with a torn lat muscle. He racks up more strikeouts than Howell (11.5 K/9 since 2013 vs. 8.1 K/9) but other than that they have been rather similar over that time period.
Toronto could have considered other options, but someone like fellow lefty Boone Logan would have likely been more expensive and required a multi-year deal. Howell on a cheap, one-year pact seems to fit better with the Jays’ general strategy.
Howell will aim to help form the bridge to closer Roberto Osuna. Back in November the Jays picked up their 2017 option on veteran Jason Grilli, who produced a 3.64 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over 42 innings for Toronto after a midseason trade from the Atlanta Braves. While he figures to fill the setup role in front of Osuna, Howell should get key opportunities as well, particularly against lefties (career .624 OPS vs. LHH). Look for 26-year-old Joe Biagini to once again get his share of innings as well.
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The Blue Jays offense will likely regress a bit next year in light of Encarnacion’s exit. However, the club will hope that a strong rotation led by talented youngster Aaron Sanchez along with a solid bullpen can keep them competitive in a tough AL East.