The White Sox have officially agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent starter Derek Holland that pays him a reported $6MM. The 30-year-old southpaw, a client of Martini Sports Management, can also earn $2MM in incentives, $1MM apiece upon reaching 150 and 200 innings pitched.
Holland hit the open market when the Rangers declined an $11MM club option, preferring instead to pay a $1.5MM buyout when trade talks did not result in a taker. Now, he’ll head to Chicago to function as a near-term rotation piece to step into the opening created when the team dealt ace Chris Sale to the Red Sox.
Certainly, Holland won’t be expected to produce anything like the output of Sale, one of the game’s best starters, but he offers a bit of upside in his own right. He’ll ultimately land the exact guarantee predicted by MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes, who listed Holland 50th in his pre-offseason ranking of free agents in terms of earning power.
It has been a tough and injury-riddled three-year run for Holland, who has managed to provide only 203 innings since the start of 2014. He hasn’t exactly been dominant when healthy, either, posting a 4.30 ERA with 5.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in that span.
That was certainly not what he or the Rangers hoped for when the sides came together on a five-year, $28.5MM deal in the spring of 2012. After a tough first campaign under the new pact, Holland came through in 2013 with a 213-inning, 3.42 ERA gem of a year in which he compiled 8.0 strikeouts against 2.7 free passes per nine innings pitched.
Things began to turn south in the following season, however, as knee and shoulder issues intervened. While Chicago can certainly hope for a bounceback, it will most likely be expecting some solid frames from the veteran hurler. In 2016, he sat nearly three full ticks below his peak average velocity (93.4 mph, in 2013), with a 7.8% swinging-strike rate that fell well below the ~10% mark he carried when at his best.
Given the limited commitment, and Holland’s positive clubhouse reputation, it seems to be a sensible acquisition for a White Sox organization that is hoping to remain somewhat competitive even as it deals away some of its best assets for upper-level prospects. If Holland can stay healthy and restore some of his prior luster on the hill, it’s conceivable that he could turn into a deadline trade piece or even a qualifying-offer candidate next fall.
MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reported that the deal was nearing finalization. MLB.com’s TR Sullivan reported that the deal was done (via Twitter). Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News had the terms (links via Twitter), with Jon Heyman of Fan Rag adding the incentives breakdown on Twitter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Should of just Resigned Danks
That ship has “Sale’d”. Derek Holland was the better option of the two to fill “Condors” spot in the rotation. At least he doesn’t bring any “bad” will with White Sox fans.
no, holland actually has value at the trade deadline if he can pitch like he used too
Anyone else say “DAMMIT!”-
Then realize it’s Derek, not Greg…
No, I said “Thank you, Rick Hahn.”
The Pirates had been heavily linked to Derek Holland and I wanted no part of him or his 90 mph fastball.
Yea, 90mph fast ball for Lefty is sooo terrible. ANY other argument but that one.
“He hasn’t exactly been dominant when healthy, either, posting a 4.30 ERA with 5.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in that span.”
The part where he and his 90 mph aren’t very good and don’t produce good results?
The Pirates best reclamation projects have velocity and induce ground balls.
He would have wasted a spot in the rotation. I”d much rather use a Stephen Brault or Trevor Williams if Derek Holland is the best they can find on the open market.
He hit 95 towards the end of the year..
AGAIN…. 90mph for Lefty is NOT bad. That was your initial/only argument in your FIRST post. Thanks for the clarification
Are you freakin serious. los
Softer-tossing lefties do not do well in PNC Park with that shorter right field wall. See also: Jonathan Sanchez, Wandy Rodriguez once he had arm trouble, etc. I agree as a fellow Bucs fan: even if Holland got his velocity back up, he was a poor fit for Pittsburgh. If he does well for the Sox more power to him, nothing against the guy at all.
* softer-tossing HOMER PRONE lefties, my bad on the omission
Holland averaged 91.7 mph on his fastball in 2016, and peaked at 95mph. He’s thrown as hard as 97.5mph in his career. He isn’t Jeff Locke or Tommy Milone.
Yep
As a White Sox fan, I can tell you that’s exactly how I read it lol. Would make a much better flip candidate.
It’s a wash season anyhow. Hope he can stay healthy to eat up some innings. If not then no big deal he will be gone next year.
That’s a solid signing by Rick Hahn. Holland is finally healthy after 3 injury-plagued years and I expect him to be at least a solid no. 3 type starter. If he over-performs, there are always GM’s willing to give you a top prospect based on half a season of good results (e.g. Pomeranz for Espinoza last year).
Pomeranz is a cost controlled starter who wAs having great results. It’s a bit different even if Holland does overperform simply based on the number of years on the deal – 1.
Not that rebuilding teams shouldn’t sign potential bounce back candidates with the hope of flipping them, but the hopeful return needs to be realistic! If holland bounces back, the Sox could probably get a busted prospect in return. It sounds small, but that’s what Arrieta was before the Cubs flipped Feldman for him.
Looks like he has a new team to get hurt on
Still Butthurt his Rangers STOMPED your Astros for 2yrs?? Might want to worry about that mental hump of beating the Rangers
Is that all u guys can hang on to this coming year? Lol
Yes
Stros Fans ALWAYS popping off about the BULLY they can’t beat. At least the Cougs can stand up for themselves in TX.
Remember there’s always a bigger fish in the sea. The Blue Jays have walked all over the Rangers the last two years.
Derek Holland will be a typical “flip” candidate for a rebuilding White Sox club that also had a spot open in their rotation to begin the season. Recent trade acquisitions like Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez will be given shots to make the White Sox staff this spring but service time issues and added seasoning at AAA make their promotions more likely in mid-summer.
Keep him healthy, rehabilitate his value and flip him at the deadline seems to be the plan. I expect him to either continue to have injury problems or pitch poorly. The plan is solid but I don’t think he will have the requisite value to be flipped at the deadline. Either way, it appears win/win for the White Sox. You either flip him for a prospect or he contributes to your march toward the worst record in baseball and the top pick. Even after the recent trades and the prospective future trades, the White Sox still need at least a few years of top 1-3 draft picks (picking position players) to fulfill this tear down and rebuild plan.
Damn, I was hoping the Indians would sign him and trade Tomlin.
Agreed. Another factor is the White Sox have an ace trainer in Herm Schneider, as well as a team of top notch orthopedic doctors on staff from Rush. The White Sox have a positive history of keeping players off the disabled list in comparison to most MLB teams and this might have also influenced Holland’s decision to join the organization.
Guessing 6mil was too steep for the Bucs. Maybe they’re still in on Tyson Ross or Nova. – idk. But they need an arm and bounce back options are fading fast.
I think if Holland had a 1 yr offer from the Bucs and it was anywhere close to that, he picked the wrong club to rebuild his value. I think he would’ve had an easier path at PNC and the NL but I suppose time will tell.
This smells like trade bait for July assuming he doesn’t pitch like Danks did last year.
Perhaps this coming season’s Rich Hill?
No
Would have thought he’d gone to a pitcher-friendly park to pad his numbers, hmm, this is a weird one.
$6,000,000 and a defined role as a starter is enough reasons for this guy.
Just keep Holland’s dog away from him: he’ll be especially dangerous in Chicago because of his name.
Ha! No doubt – that damn dog destroyed his career.
Sox sound like Theo and the boys LLC tbe north
Good Deal if he stays healthy. low risk move. Good flip candidate. OR they can be like the Royals and get a bounce back pitcher for low cost, let him perform okay, don’t flip him and then then sign him for more money/years. A la Bruce Chen, Chris Young, Jeremy Guthrie and pay them millions not to pitch by the end.
Just a roster filling move. Rather have him start then to start a minor leaguers service clock. At 6mil for one year, no harm no foul
Is this the same Holland that has an impressive Haray Caray impersonation?
Is this the same Holland that has an impressive Harry Caray impersonation?
Yes, and as soon as the Rangers told him to grow up he wasn’t the same. He’s a goof ball. As mentioned in a previous post, his dog has caused injuries that played a role in his downfall as well. He always looks like an ace for 3-4 games and then the wheels will fall off for a month or two. Never made sense how up and down he was.
Bad dog, Wrigley! Bad dog!
Seems like there are easier ways to eat innings. Unless they can flip him, seems like 4 million too much for a guy who can make a few starts before the kids come up from AAA
How much easier than signing a cheap one year deal can it get?
You could always sign bottom barrel pitchers to eat up innings (Jered Weaver etc.) but Holland still has legitimate upside as a mid-rotation performer. If the cost of competing every 5th day is $4,000,000, that’s not an entirely bad investment.
Cause you can never have too many lefties
Especially lefties that blame blowing out their knee playing rec hockey in Frisco on their dog. Worst kept secret in North Texas. Hope he doesn’t get busted for his huge pot habit.
His velocity is gone. He pitched off of his fastball. If you think you are flipping him for a prospect Sox fans you are due for some disappointment after looting the Nats and Boston. At least he will entertain you with bad impressions when he is stoned as hell.
I take it you aren’t from Washington/Colorado..
specially lefties that blame blowing out their knee playing rec hockey in Frisco on their dog. Worst kept secret in North Texas. Hope he doesn’t get busted for his huge pot habit.
His velocity is gone. He pitched off of his fastball. If you think you are flipping him for a prospect Sox fans you are due for some disappointment after looting the Nats and Boston. At least he will entertain you with bad impressions when he is stoned as hell.
Stop sucking up to the boss, Jeff Todd!
But will he treat the southsiders to his whiskey tango stache is the question.
Waste of $6 mil
the comparisons to Danks are valid. both promising LHP signed by texas who had great stuff but injuries dragged both down. too bad. I really liked the Dutch Oven.
I don’t mind the pick up as it’s only a stop gap to get to fulmer. Worst case we release by June. Best case, he has a Happ type season and becomes valuable at trade deadline. Either way we don’t have much to lose.
Great signing
6 million isn’t alot in today’s market. that’s a bargain. I don’t know how much the pirates may have offered, but 6 mill—that’s a nice price. either he didn’t want to sign with the bucs or nutting offered less. Good for the rangers.
HarveyD, why good for the Rangers?