MLB Free Agency Rumors: Why can’t Greg Holland find a home?
Why in the world is Greg Holland still on the MLB free agency wire?
What a bizarre MLB free agency and off-season period it’s been; with the season not arriving quickly enough.
Thankfully, MLB Opening Day kicks off in two days, but not for everyone.
Somehow, All-Star closer Greg Holland is still homeless, of sorts, after not signing with an MLB team this MLB free agency.
As Opening Day approaches, Greg Holland, Jayson Werth, Matt Holliday, Jose Bautista, Mark Reynolds, Melky Cabrera, J.J. Hardy, Brandon Phillips, Seth Smith, Stephen Drew, Andre Ethier, Joe Blanton, John Lackey and Carlos Ruiz are among the free agents who've yet to find teams.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) March 23, 2018
How in the world is a pitcher coming off an All-Star appearance, a 41 save season, and recently playing in two World Series (winning one), not on a 40-man roster? Well, if Holland knew the answer to that question, he’d have a new contract by now. We’ll try to help you out a bit here, Greg.
The two top candidates during this MLB free agency period were the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies. Unexpectedly, the Rockies inked Wade Davis (Holland’s former teammate) to a massive three-year deal — making history in the process.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals decided to take their chances with Luke Gregerson, a decision that may haunt the Redbirds in 2018.
Since those two clubs passed on Holland, the Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks both showed a slight interest in him — according to John Hayman of Fan Rag Sports.
Honestly, three key factors come into play in why Holland is still among the MLB free agency players. The first being, Scott Boras — his agent.
The “mighty” Boras is known for holding his players out for more money, a high risk, and high reward approach. Unfortunately for Holland, it hasn’t paid off (both literally and figuratively), and he’s still looking for a team just days before the season begins.
Buster Olney, of ESPN, suggests that Holland may have to settle for a one-year deal for as low as seven million dollars, which is a far cry from his asking price of about $10-$11 million per season — like his previous two seasons.
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Keep in mind; Holland is less than three years removed from Tommy John surgery. MLB teams may not want to mortgage the farm for a player who may not make it through the entirety of his contract, or one giving up numerous free passes in the vital 9th inning.
Even with a few liabilities, some MLB teams need to pay this man his money. He still has much to offer aspiring MLB postseason teams. According to Bleacher Report:
"He had a higher strikeout rate in 2017 than he did in 2015 and the exact same contact rate(65.5 percent) as Andrew Miller."
The St. Louis Cardinals should be at the front of the line, especially with Gregerson starting the season on the Disabled List. But, evidently, they are content giving up leads late in ballgames as they did in 2017.
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It’s surprising that Greg Holland is still in the mix among the MLB free agency players, but expect that to change very soon. Unfortunately for Holland, he may have to settle for much less than he expects; for the time being.