Howard signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional League in Japan on Sunday.
Howard appeared in nine major-league regular-season games between the Guardians and Giants in 2024, posting a 6.21 ERA and 2.00 WHIP over 29 innings. He didn't fare much better with Triple-A Sacramento with a 6.57 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 61.2 frames, so a fresh start in Japan may help the 28-year-old right-hander regain some form.