Howard was added to the Rockies' 40-man roster Monday.
As a result of the move, Howard will now be protected from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. He put together another solid season in the minors, compiling a combined 3.32 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 104 strikeouts across 127.1 innings between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque. He'll likely start the season out at offering pitching depth at Triple-A.