Cubs Looking For Reliever?

Late inning reliever Bob Howry is off to a bad start, struggling in all three game he appeared in. His ERA currently stands at 16.87, and though he hasn't walked anyone, he has given up a lot of hits. I said before and I'll say it again, relievers need time to get going. They do not get much work in Spring and need to find their groove. However, Howry, 34, has pitched in a total of 162 games over the past two seasons, and it is possible that his arm is starting to feel the effects. If the Cubs can get their pitcher to the sixth or seventh inning, going with a Wuertz, Marmol, Wood tandem would close the door, in my opinion. But, they can't pitch everyday. Using Howry and the others in situations early might get him going, but for now, they just need to keep getting him work. There are not many relievers available right now, so the Cubs will probably keep working him till he finds his groove. A typical Cubs move, however, would be if he is still struggling after a couple of weeks, they would put him on the DL and call up one of their young relievers. Howry is in the final year of his contract, so a trade towards the end of the season could happen. The Cubs have been impressed by Howry's performance in the past two years though, so it is likely he will stay with the team beyond 2008.