Greg Holland drawing interest from Toronto Blue Jays

The success of their bullpen was a major part in how the Kansas City Royals reached the World Series this past season and few arms were more valuable than All Star closer Greg Holland. Holland’s increasing salary, however, has left the AL Champions open to hearing offers for him – or setup man Wade Davis – in an effort to maintain payroll while addressing other needs.

It would seem as though the Toronto Blue Jays have a serious interest in potentially acquiring Holland, and as Bob Elliot at the Toronto Sun writes, are pursuing a deal with the Royals. Kansas City’s asking price is high, as expected.

The Royals have multiple needs they are still hopeful to address, namely that of a right fielder and at least one starting pitcher. Toronto may not necessarily line up as a perfect fit on either front. Outfielders are already sparse north of the border, with the Blue Jays looking to add at least one themselves in the coming weeks.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Starting pitching also isn’t in abundance at the moment. Elliot questions about whether it’d make sense for the Jays to consider dealing one of R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Drew Hutchison, Marcus Stroman, or Aaron Sanchez to acquire a pitcher like Holland. None appear like likely matches – both Dickey and Buehrle are veterans earning more than Holland and are said to be unavailable while Stroman and Sanchez are two of the top young arms in the Jays organization. Stroman is almost certainly not available, while the chances of dealing either Sanchez or Daniel Norris also appear slim.

A package of prospects might be Toronto’s best chance at completing a deal, but it remains to be seen how interested the Royals may be in such a return. They want players who are ready to step into the lineup and/or rotation now, hoping to ride last year’s momentum to another playoff push in 2015. They don’t have to move Holland, but he’s certainly an asset if the right deal materializes.