From ESPN’s Buster Olney comes word that the Dodgers finalized a two-year contract with left-hander J.P. Howell on Tuesday afternoon.
The two-year pact, which carries $11.5 million in guaranteed money along with a $6.25 million vesting option for 2016, will be officially announced Thursday after Howell passes his pre-signing physical exam.
Howell drew heavy free agent interest this winter from the Rockies, but they opted for a three-year, $16.5 million agreement with southpaw Boone Logan. Howell, 30, registered an outstanding 2.03 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 62 innings this past summer for Los Angeles while holding left-handed batters to a hopeless .164/.225/.227 slash line.