As the Dodgers head into the off-season, they have 12 guys on their active roster who become free agents as soon as the final out of the 2013 World Series is recorded. They are:

• Chris Capuano
• Mark Ellis
• Jerry Hairston
• J.P. Howell
• Carlos Marmol
• Ricky Nolasco
• Nick Punto
• Skip Schumaker
• Juan Uribe
• Edinson Volquez
• Brian Wilson
• Michael Young

When you look at this list there are a few guys who absolutely will not be back with the Dodgers next season; there are a couple who we all would like to see back next season but may not be; and then there is one who Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti better make every effort to re-sign. It isn’t Juan Uribe (although he is a guy who Ned should seriously consider bringing back) and it isn’t Brian Wilson (who would also be wise to bring back). No, the must re-sign free agent is perhaps the quietest guy on this entire list, yet he was instrumental in the Dodgers tremendous success this past season – left-handed reliever J.P. Howell.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti would be making a huge mistake if he does not re-sign left-hander J.P. Howell.
(Photo credit – Ben Margot)

In the big scheme of things middle relievers, as is J.P. Howell, are pretty much a dime a dozen and rarely make the headlines. There are hundreds of them out there and thousands more in the minors hoping to one day make it to the Show. They are often throw-ins on major trades and are frequently the proverbial “player to be named later.” But the truth of the matter is that they are essential to the success of every team and the very best are usually found on teams that end up in the playoffs – say… like… the Dodgers.

Although the 30-year-old Modesto, CA native made quite a few appearance this past season as a LOOGY (Left-handed One Out GuY) or ‘situational lefty,’ this wasn’t the role that he was signed for. But when rookie left-hander Paco Rodriguez ran out of gas during the stretch run, Howell stepped up and filled in when the match-up called for a LOOGY – and did so with great success.

What many people may not realize is that Howell had seven seasons in the MLB before he was signed by the Dodgers last off-season as a free agent. One of those years was spent with the Kansas City Royals and six with the Tampa Bay Rays, which might account for his anonymity.

Howell was drafted by the Royals as a starting pitcher in the first round of the 2004 MLB Draft (31st overall pick) out of the University of Texas, where he led the Longhorns to the 2004 College World Series. (The Longhorns were swept in the finals by Cal State Fullerton). He made his major league debut with the Royals on June 11, 2005 against the Houston Astros allowing only 1 run in 5 innings to record his first major league win. In 15 starts for the Royals in 2005, Howell finished with a 3-5 record and a 6.19 ERA.

On June 20, 2006 Howell was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, still as a starter. After finishing the 2006 season 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA and the 2007 season 1-6 with a 7.59 ERA, Howell was moved to the bullpen – and he absolutely soared. He went 6-1 in 2008 and 7-5 in 2009 with ERAs of 2.22 and 2.84 respectively. At one point during the 2009 season, Howell recorded three consecutive saves in a series (against the Royals, no less), joining Troy Percival as the only Rays pitchers to ever do so.

And then came the injury.

During spring training 2010, Howell suffered what was described as “weakness” in his left shoulder and was shut down. He was not on the Rays opening day roster but returned in mid May. In his first simulated game on May 17, he experienced discomfort in his shoulder and was shut down after making only twelve pitches. He would not make another pitch in 2010. Several days later Howell underwent surgery on his left shoulder, causing him to miss the entire 2010 season.

On December 13, 2010 while still recovering from his surgery, Howell signed a one-year contract with the Rays. He finished the 2011 season 2-3 with a 6.16 ERA and accepted another one-year contract with the Rays (avoiding arbitration) for the 2012 season going 1-0 with a 3.04 ERA. It appeared that Howell had completely recovered from his surgery as he entered free agency at the end of the 2012 season.

During his time with the Royals and Rays, Howell was a huge fan favorite and well liked by his teammates. And though you can’t put a value on this, it definitely caught the eye of Dodger scouts and more importantly Ned Colletti, who signed J.P to a one-year/$2.85 million contract on January 14, 2013. The contract included performance bonuses for appearances and innings pitched. Because the Dodgers made it into the postseason, these bonuses earned Howell an additional $550,000 for appearing in 74 games and pitching 68 innings to bring his total 2013 contract to $3.4 million – a drop in the bucket by today’s standards and one heck of a bargain for what the Dodgers got from Howell.

What exactly did the Dodgers get from J.P. Howell? How about a 4-1 record, 2.03 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 23 walks in 62 IP. In fact, the only Dodger relievers with a better ERA than Howell were Brian Wilson (0.66 in 13.2 IP) and Kenley Jansen (1.83 in 76.2 IP) – a bargain in every sense of the word.

But there is more to J.P. Howell than just his numbers – there’s that thing that you can’t put a value on. Having been blessed to see and speak with Howell throughout the season and witness first-hand how he interacts with the media, his teammates and the fans, there isn’t a nicer guy on the team than J.P Howell, and there are some really nice guys on the team.

Howell and his wife Heather Hennessy-Howell are also very active in the community. The couple founded the Discover Your Path Foundation and in 2011 Heather published a children’s book entitled ‘The Adventures of Dangles’ with an anti-bullying theme.

Discover Your Path founders Heather and J.P. Howell
(Click on photo to view video)

Although Colletti will be facing some tough decisions over the coming weeks regarding player acquisitions and which free agents to re-sign, his decision to re-sign J.P. Howell is a very simple one – or at least it should be.