Yesterday the Texas Rangers announced a five-year contract extension with left-handed starting pitcher Derek Holland. The 25-year-old’s new deal is worth $28 million over the five years and includes options for the 2017 and ’18 seasons.
After being selected in the 25th round of the 2006 MLB Draft, Holland developed into a promising young pitcher for the Rangers. Entering the 2009 season, Holland was named a top 30 prospect by Baseball America. That same year the southpaw made his debut for the Rangers.
Used both out of the bullpen and as a starter over his first two seasons in Texas, Holland was solely used in the Rangers rotation in 2011. Over his 32 starts and 198 innings pitched, Holland posted an ERA and WHIP of 3.95 and 1.354 with 7.4 SO/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
Holland’s strong season carried over into the playoffs, where he maintained an ERA of 3.38 over his 24 innings pitched. This included Holland’s impressive performance in game four of the World Series, where he held the St. Louis Cardinals to no runs and only two hits over his 8 1/3 innings of work.
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