MLB: The 10 worst free agent signings before this season

Number Ten

SP Derek Holland, Chicago White Sox, 1-year, $6 million

7-14, 135 IP, 6.20 ERA, 6.44 FIP, 1.71 WHIP

-0.9 WAR (FanGraphs)

-1.6 WAR (Baseball-Reference)

Derek Holland didn’t cost the White Sox much, but he was so bad that he earned a spot on this list despite the relatively inexpensive contract. In fact, he was so bad, the White Sox released him in early September after he went 7-14 with a 6.20 ERA. That’s the fourth-worst ERA of any pitcher with more than 100 innings this season. And it’s not like he was unlucky. His 6.44 FIP is the worst of any pitcher with more than 100 innings pitched in 2017.

Holland was bad in all the ways a pitcher can be bad. He didn’t strike out enough batters and he walked too many. Only three pitchers with more than 100 innings have a higher walk rate than Holland. He also gave up more than two home runs per nine innings, ranking in the bottom six in that category. Along the way, he had 10 starts in which he allowed five earned runs or more and pitched fewer than six innings. In his four worst starts, he allowed 29 earned runs in 9.7 innings.

He’s only 30 years old and throws left-handed, so Holland will get more chances to pitch in the big leagues, but he’s unlikely to get another contract for 2018 like he did this year. Coming off a three-year stretch with a 5.50 ERA in 301 innings, Holland may be looking at a spring training invite in 2018.