A strikeout machine in the minors for the Phillies, Howard looked like a future third or fourth starter as a prospect, but he proved too homer-prone to contribute. He heads to Japan with a 4-13 record and a 7.00 ERA over 32 starts and 15 relief appearances for the Phillies, Rangers, Giants and Guardians.

Howard wound up electing free agency last month after being designated for assignment by the Guardians after making two appearances (one start) for them. The 28-year-old is back in San Francisco where he started the year before being traded to Cleveland in early July. He’s merely extra organizational depth at this stage of his career.

Howard was acquired in a trade with the Giants earlier in the month, but the 27-year-old gave up four earned runs in each of his two appearances. He’s now on the waiver wire, and Cleveland could try and stash him in Triple-A if another team doesn’t claim him or trade for the right-hander.

Howard made his debut with the Guardians after being acquired from the Giants last weekend. It didn’t go well, as he allowed seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts not making up for it. Howard was a top prospect and there have been occasional flashes to suggest he has a bright future, but not nearly enough to suggest he’s a fantasy-relevant pitcher in 2024. It’s probably not gonna happen in the years after, either.