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

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.

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