Desperate for relief help, the Cubs have signed Bob Howry. Howry, who played for the Cubs from 2006-2008, was released by the Diamondbacks earlier this week.
Howry struggled with the D’Backs, striking out as many as he walked in a little over 14 innings. He had an ERA over 10, and an xFIP of 6.11. Always a flyball pitcher, Howry only got ground balls 25.5% of the time this year, and allowed six homers in his short time in Arizona. While a 22.2% HR/FB rate and a 44.9% LOB rate are likely fluky, Howry has not been a good pitcher this year.
Back in 2008, Howry was a solid reliever for the Cubs. He struck out 7.51 batters every nine innings, walking only 1.66 in that same time frame. Howry had an xFIP of 4.24, much better than his actual ERA of 5.35. For most of his career, Howry had been a good strikeout pitcher, and knew how to keep his walks down. After leaving Chicago to play for the Giants, Howry’s strikeout rate dropped and his walk rate rose. While the trend probably ...
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