MLB Free Agency: Which Team Is the Best Fit for Derek Holland?

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Despite injuries and suspect performance in recent years, Derek Holland is attracting attention on the MLB free agency market. Which of the reportedly interested teams would be the best fit for the lefty?

With such a barren free agent market for starting pitchers, it’s hardly surprising that someone like Derek Holland is generating his fair share of interest. After all, the eight-year veteran has enjoyed some success in the past, and teams will point to that in hopes that they can again draw out his full potential. The fact that he’s a left-hander doesn’t hurt either.

Holland made his debut in 2009 with the Texas Rangers, but it wasn’t until two years later that he put together his first truly representative season at the big league level. He made 32 starts that year and racked up a more than respectable 16 wins. Though his 3.95 ERA and 1.35 WHIP weren’t exactly remarkable, he did lead the American League with four complete game shutouts.

He took a step backward in 2012 with a 4.67 ERA over 29 outings, but the following season was arguably his best in a major league uniform. Holland logged 213 innings in 33 starts, posting a 3.42 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. It seemed like the best was yet to come for the young southpaw.

Unfortunately, that’s when injuries became a serious issue. Holland made only 16 appearances between the 2014 and 2015 campaigns as he suffered through torn cartilage in his left knee and a strained left shoulder. He did manage to take the mound 22 times (20 starts) this year, but the results certainly weren’t inspiring. Holland put up a 4.95 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 107.1 innings of work. His 5.6 K/9 was a career low.

Teams have never been afraid of taking on reclamation projects, however, and given the disparity between the supply and demand for starting pitchers this winter, Holland should do surprisingly well for himself. In fact, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson reports that the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates have already expressed interest. Holland hasn’t ruled out a return to the Rangers either.

So how would Holland fit on each of these teams, and which would be the best match for the 30-year-old lefty? Let’s take a look.

Next: Padres

San Diego Padres

There aren’t many places more friendly to pitchers than Petco Park, making it a prime location for Derek Holland to try to revitalize his career. The Padres needed help in a lot of areas this year, but starting pitching was definitely one of them. The Friars rotation managed a 4.61 ERA as a unit, good for just 21st in baseball.

The Padres’ starting staff for 2017 also contains a series of question marks after lead man Tyson Ross. The club unloaded Andrew Cashner and Drew Pomeranz through trades in the middle of the season, meaning there’s ample opportunity for someone like Holland to come in and claim a rotation spot with little to no resistance.

Signing Holland could also jive with the Padres’ rebuilding aspirations. Although his value will likely be inflated by the weak market, he still won’t be as expensive as some of the other starters available, making him a relatively low risk / moderate reward proposition. If San Diego can get him on an agreeable contract and he pitches well in the first half next year, they could also try flipping him before the trade deadline.

And while Padres general manager A.J. Preller might not be the most popular guy around the league right now, he does have familiarity with Holland from his time in the Rangers front office. That connection could give San Diego an inside edge.

Next: Yankees

New York Yankees

It’s no secret that the Yankees need to address their rotation this offseason. Outside of Masahiro Tanaka, who just had a very nice year as the team’s number one starter, there’s not a whole settled. And even he comes with some lingering health concerns.

Michael Pineda continues to be one of the most frustrating pitchers in the league. Nathan Eovaldi was having a rough season before requiring his second Tommy John surgery in August, which will likely keep him out for the entire 2017 season and could spell the end of his tenure in pinstripes altogether. Former top prospect Luis Severino fell well short of expectations in 2016 and is a question mark, too.

36-year-old CC Sabathia might actually be one of the more dependable options they have. After some ugly, injury-plagued seasons, the veteran lefty made 30 starts this year and managed a 3.91 ERA, his lowest mark since 2012.

The Yanks have been linked to trade discussions surrounding White Sox ace Chris Sale, but if they want to hold on to their suddenly robust farm system, they could set their sights a bit lower. The free agent market obviously has nothing close to a talent like Sale, but they could add to their rotation depth without sacrificing coveted prospects.

Holland might be a decent bounce-back candidate for them to consider. He’s an AL veteran and having just turned 30 years old, he’s certainly not long in the tooth yet either. Though the Yankees organization isn’t exactly known as a pitching factory, they have had some success in turning around pitchers with injury histories. Brandon McCarthy comes to mind, although his subsequent time with the Dodgers has been anything but memorable.

In all honesty, this seems like a gamble the Yanks won’t take, especially if the bidding goes beyond a one-year deal. They might look to some of their younger in-house arms instead, like Luis Cessa, Chad Green and Bryan Mitchell. Swingman Adam Warren is apparently going to get another chance to stick in the rotation as well.

Next: Rangers

Texas Rangers

There’s no place like home, and it’s possible the Rangers might decide to keep Holland in the Lone Star State where he has played his entire MLB career. On paper, the rotation has a great one-two punch in Cole Hamels and (a hypothetically healthy) Yu Darvish. Beyond that, things get cloudier.

28-year-old A.J. Griffin had a forgettable year (5.07 ERA over 23 starts), but he’s arbitration eligible through 2018. Lefty Martin Perez wasn’t great either (4.39 ERA) yet the 25-year-old provided nearly 200 innings and will likely be part of the equation next season. Veteran Colby Lewis missed some time to injury this year and is a free agent. However, at age 37 he might not be the strongest candidate to return.

The Rangers posted the best record in the AL in 2016 without the benefit of a top rotation. Their starters were a middling 16th in baseball with a 4.38 ERA. Ultimately, they were pretty darn fortunate to do as well as they did in the regular season. Their Pythagorean record was a startling 82-80, a whole 13 wins worse than their actual record. So it wasn’t all that surprising to see them fall on their faces in the ALDS, where they were outscored 22-10 in three games by the Blue Jays.

Texas definitely needs to improve its starting pitching, but it’s hard to see Holland making much of a positive difference there. The team could very well agree, as them declining his $11 million option for 2017 was a no-brainer. Despite his interest in staying with the club that drafted him, the Rangers will probably look elsewhere.

Next: Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

Like the previous teams on this list, the Pirates rotation ranked in the bottom half of the league this season. They put up a 4.67 ERA as a group, good for just 22nd. A variety of factors played into the disappointing year. Young ace Gerrit Cole was limited to 21 starts due to elbow inflammation, and when he did take the mound his results were well below his earlier standards: 3.88 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over 116 innings.

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Aging veterans Francisco Liriano and Jon Niese posted ERAs near or above the 5.00 mark before being traded at the deadline. The main bright spot was top prospect Jameson Taillon, who posted a solid 3.38 ERA in 18 starts this year. He and fellow highly-touted youngsters Tyler Glasnow and Chad Kuhl could have key roles next season.

Combined with a hopefully better year from Cole, the Pirates may have the makings of a promising young staff in 2017. But there are still some age- and injury-related question marks there. On the surface, someone like Holland doesn’t appear to help much in either regard. But the Pirates have a secret weapon on their side: pitching coach Ray Searage.

Searage has become renowned for his work with reclamation pitchers, helping guys who have veered off track to rediscover the potential they showed earlier in their careers. A.J. Burnett and J.A. Happ are two of his more prominent recent success stories. And though it’s a small sample size, Ivan Nova‘s staggering transformation after being acquired from the Yankees can’t be ignored either.

Next: Top Landing Spots for Greg Holland

The Pirates would surely like to re-sign Nova, but there are no guarantees there, especially in this market. Holland is a risk, but he could prove a decent (and much less expensive) alternative, especially if the team is confident that Searage can work his magic on him. Overall, Pittsburgh feels like the best fit for Holland at the moment: a club with a modest budget, clear rotation need and a coach with a compelling track record who can work with him.

Where do you think Holland should end up? Sound off in the comment section below.

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