San Francisco Giants Interested in Greg Holland

In need of a bullpen overhaul, the San Francisco Giants could take a chance on former Royals closer Greg Holland.

A shaky bullpen led to the San Francisco Giants‘ demise in their NLDS matchup with the Chicago Cubs, so it makes sense that the team would look to improve there during the offseason. The Bay Area News Group’s Andrew Baggarly reports that the club is “legitimately intrigued” by reliever Greg Holland, who will be holding a showcase soon:

They presumably won’t lack for competition, as the Red Sox are also said to be eyeing Holland.

Holland missed all of the 2016 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Prior to his injury, the right-hander was one of the best relief pitchers in the game for the Kansas City Royals. From 2011 through 2015, he posted a 2.15 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 12.2 K/9 while averaging 60 innings per season. He also developed into a lockdown closer for Kansas City, racking up 93 saves between 2013 and 2014 while only blowing five.

Holland notched 32 more saves in 2015 before a sore elbow sidelined him late in the year, at which point he gave way to Wade Davis in the ninth-inning role.

Now a free agent, the 30-year-old Holland is trying to prove to teams that he is healthy and can still be that dependable arm at the back-end of the bullpen. His 2015 numbers were noticeably worse than his usual standard (3.83 ERA, 1.46 WHIP), but it was later revealed that he pitched the entire season with a UCL tear. With the ligament repaired, Holland (and interested clubs) will hope he regains something close to his previous form.

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According to Holland’s agent, Scott Boras, the hurler has been throwing in the low 90s on the radar gun. That’s a bit lower than what he’s used to, but like other TJS patients he could recoup some more velocity with time.

Despite a relatively weak class overall, this winter’s free agent market isn’t lacking for high-end relievers. Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon are all due to hit the market, and they should each have plenty of suitors. Teams that either miss out on those three or aren’t crazy about paying their considerable price tags might consider taking a chance on Holland instead.

After this year’s late-season bullpen debacle, the Giants are in clear need of a closer and probably a bit more than that if they really want to shore up their relief corps. They blew nine saves in September/October, most in the league, and in Game 4 of the NLDS against the eventual champion Cubs, five Giants relievers combined to surrender a three-run lead in the top of the ninth inning. Of all the problems that led to the Giants’ second-half slide, the bullpen is at the top of the list.

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If Holland is healthy and effective, he should be a great addition to the Giants’ pen. However, given their need, it would likely be a good idea to sign him in conjunction with someone else who is less of a question mark. San Francisco has already shown this offseason that they are willing to take on reclamation projects, inking Josh Johnson to a minor league deal. Greg Holland could be another shrewd addition for them as they attempt to improve their roster for 2017.