DEAL DONE: Another Philadelphia Phillies Top Prospect Re-Signed by San Francisco Giants
At one point, the Philadelphia Phillies viewed right-hander Spencer Howard as a key part of their future starting rotation. Now, the franchise observes from a distance as he continues to move around Major League Baseball.
Howard pitched a scoreless inning on Friday for Triple-A Sacramento after signing a minor-league deal with the San Francisco Giants.
He began this season with the Giants and rejoined them after choosing free agency rather than accepting an assignment to Triple-A Columbus on July 28.
The Cleveland Guardians had designated Howard for assignment on July 21. The 28-year-old is now trying to make his way back to the Major Leagues.
It’s been over three years since the Phillies traded him, after selecting him in the second round out of Cal Poly and later pitching the first no-hitter in Class-A Lakewood BlueClaws history.
Philadelphia promoted him in 2020, where he posted a 1-2 record with a 5.92 ERA. In 2021, he made 11 starts for the Phillies, going 0-2 with a 5.72 ERA before being traded to the Texas Rangers in a deal that brought back several players, including starter Kyle Gibson.
In 2022, Howard served as a spot starter for the Rangers, finishing with a 2-4 record and a 7.41 ERA in 10 games (eight starts). In 2023, he started the season injured and was eventually traded by Texas in late July. The New York Yankees acquired Howard, but he only lasted a month at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before being released.
The Giants picked him up in late September and assigned him to the minors.
Howard didn’t make the Giants’ Opening-Day roster but eventually earned a call-up and transitioned into a primary relief role this season after being promoted from Sacramento on May 28. He went 1-1 with a 3.80 ERA over six appearances and 21.1 innings, striking out 21 and walking nine.
The San Luis Obispo, Calif., native joined the Giants at a time when they were dealing with pitching injuries and stepped in as a starter for Logan Webb in June when San Francisco faced the Rangers.
Howard pitched 4.2 innings, with 53 strikes. He walked three, struck out two, and exited with a 3-1 lead. His last appearance with the Giants was a 4.2-inning scoreless relief outing against the Chicago Cubs.
San Francisco designated him for assignment on June 30 and traded him to Cleveland on July 5. With the Guardians, he went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in five innings, striking out six and walking three.