Aren't that good? Or have never played that well? Distinction seems small, but it matters.
Howell wouldn't be the first lefthander pitcher by a transition from the rotation to the pen. That's pretty normal.
Balfour is the only real mystery here, but he just looks like he's just being "effectively wild" this year, and the line between effectively wild and just plain wild is pretty thin. Looks like he's just a man who found The Right Coach to put one good year together.