The Guardians announced that right-hander Peter Strzelecki has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus. In a corresponding move, right-hander Spencer Howard has been designated for assignment. The club’s 40-man roster count drops to 39.
Howard opened the 2024 season in the Giants organization, making 10 starts at Triple-A and pitching another seven games (two starts) for the big league club. He gave up 33 hits, 11 walks, and 16 runs (15 earned) in 24 innings for San Francisco before he was designated for assignment at the end of June. The Guardians scooped him up soon after in exchange for cash considerations, and Howard made his first appearance for Cleveland on July 11, giving up four earned runs on seven hits and three walks in three innings of work. The right-hander pitched one more game for the club after the All-Star break, giving up another four runs (one earned) in two innings of relief.
Once a top prospect in the Phillies organization, Howard has struggled to hold down a job in the majors since his debut in 2020. The Phillies dealt him to the Rangers ahead of the trade deadline in 2021, and he spent parts of three seasons in Texas beset by inconsistency and IL stints. The Rangers traded him to the Yankees on deadline day in 2023, and he pitched for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for a month before he was released. Howard signed on with the Giants toward the end of the 2023 season.
Since Howard, now 27, used up his final option year in 2023, the Guardians had to designate him for assignment to add a fresh arm to the active roster. The team now has a week to trade the righty or pass him through waivers. Although Howard has struggled throughout his MLB career (7.00 ERA in 144 IP), another team in need of a live arm could be interested in taking a chance on the former top prospect.
Speaking of a fresh arm, that’s exactly what Strzelecki represents for Cleveland’s league-best bullpen. The 29-year-old has already enjoyed three brief stints with the club since the Diamondbacks traded him to the Guardians on Opening Day. In four big league games this year, the righty has thrown 5 2/3 scoreless frames, striking out three and walking one. Meanwhile, in 29 games (32 1/3 innings) at Triple-A, Strzelecki has a 4.18 ERA and 3.00 FIP. He has struck out more than 30% of minor league batters he has faced this season, nearly six times as many as he has walked.
While Strzelecki has struggled to stick in the majors, his Triple-A numbers are certainly promising. Perhaps this time around he will finally get to pitch more than one or two games for the Guardians before he is optioned back to the minor leagues.
That was fast. His coffee cup wasn’t even empty yet.
Back to the scrap heap
I wonder if the Guards want a chance to fix this guy in the minors. He has good stuff but he has no control. We’ve had some success with that. We’ll see if someone claims him.
This seemed like the pitching version of taking a chance on Estevan Florial. I don’t know if anyone expected it to work, but you might as well roll the dice when it costs next to nothing.
Shocking. Why contending teams continue to give him major league innings is wild to me.
They’re like optimistic girlfriends – they think they can fix him.
You could have said the same thing about lively when they signed him.
I hear the Long Island Ducks are looking for someone
Time for the Rays to give it a shot at helping him.
Guardians finding diamonds in the rough are few and far between. Now they face the cold hard reality that they may actually have to trade some talented prospects for actual major league pitching. Not to worry, Antonetti & Co are feverishly working on a list of excuses as to why that strategy isn’t viable.
The front office doesn’t need an excuse. Everyone knows the Dolans won’t pony up for a bona fide major league starter.
Should come to Boston. Former top prospect. Could possibly be fixed by Bailey and Breslow?.. worth a flier