Howell appeared in 16 games for the Blue Jays last season, accruing a 7.36 ERA and 1.82 WHIP with six strikeouts across 11 innings. He'll try his luck in an independent league, although he stated his goal is to return to the major leagues before he calls it a career.

Toronto had earmarked Howell for a key role as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen after signing him to a one-year, $3 million deal in free agency last winter, but it proved to be a swing and a miss from the front office. When he wasn't sidelined for extended time due to recurring shoulder woes, Howell was often getting lit up by the opposition, as he yielded nine runs on 13 hits and seven walks over 11 innings with the big club. If Howell ends up going unclaimed off waivers, he may just opt for free agency rather than reporting to Triple-A Buffalo in order to take more time off and allow his throwing shoulder to heal up.

On his very first big-league pitch since June 3, Howell served up a homer to Tyler White. The lefty followed that up with 11 more pitches and three straight groundouts. Howell came into the game with the Jays down 15-7, and it's likely he'll continue serving in a low-leverage role that's useless for fantasy purposes.

The left-hander missed nearly two months with this most recent shoulder issue. However, Howell's infrequent usage and 8.31 ERA on the season make him an unattractive fantasy asset, even in the deepest of AL-only leagues.