JAN 26: If Holland makes the Major League team, he will make $925K with the potential for another $150K in incentives, per Petzold (via Twitter). He will also have opportunities to opt out of the contract should he not make the Major League team, though the exact conditions of those opt-outs are unclear.
JAN 23: Derek Holland is a Detroit Tiger, he announced via his Twitter bio. The veteran lefty will join the Tigers on a minor league deal, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The Tigers will invite Holland to Major League camp with the intention of utilizing him out of the bullpen, notes Jon Morosi of the MLB Network (via Twitter). The deal has not been announced by the club.
The well-traveled southpaw spent 2020 with the Pirates after previous stops on the Cubs, Giants, White Sox and Rangers. He’s best known for his eight-year stay with the Rangers from 2009 to 2016. He spent much of that time in the Rangers’ rotation, including one start in the 2011 World Series. Holland went 8 1/3 innings giving up just two hits and two walks while striking out seven to beat the Cardinals 4-0. Though that series didn’t end as planned for the Rangers, Holland’s performance in that game four win certainly marked a highlight for the then-25-year-old. Holland was a bit of a breakout star on that 2011 pennant-winning team, throwing 198 innings with a 3.95 ERA/3.94 FIP and 3.1 fWAR.
His best overall season would come two years later. During that 4.5 fWAR 2013 campaign, Holland logged 213 innings with a 3.42 ERA/3.44 FIP, 40.8 percent groundball rate, 21.1 percent strikeout rate, and 7.2 percent walk rate. Unfortunately, Holland’s career took a turn the following season when left knee surgery cut his season to just 37 innings. Shoulder problems limited his 2016 season to 10 starts and 58 2/3 innings as his run prevention numbers rose to a 4.91 ERA/5.30 FIP.
Holland has since settled in as a swingman, primarily working out of the bullpen the past two seasons. He made five starts and seven bullpen appearances for the Pirates in 2020, finishing with a 6.86 ERA/6.14 FIP. Though those numbers don’t offer much promise, and batted ball metrics show he’s been hit hard the past two years, he did log a solid 25.1 percent strikeout rate and 8.4 percent walk rate.
Hope for their sake he’ll be a Toledo Mud Hen.
My thoughts exactly
He wasn’t terrible last year. Useful long man emergency starter. Was surprised someone didn’t want him at trade deadline. Thought braves would have been a good fit.
Nah, he’s goin’ be our starting catcher.
This seems like the first part of a joke
Sort of like ‘2 Corinthians walk into a bar ‘…
Is the team paying his way there, or is Holland going Dutch?
Underated comment.
He’s 5 or 6 years past useful.. but minor league depth I suppose
Nice minor league depth move. Welcome aboard Derek!
He will be the ace once tallion gets traded, the pirates are going to ship out anything that isn’t nailed down.
No, he’s in Detroit now which has nothing to do with Taillon
He is a Tiger soooooo
Holland to the Tigers, will be the ace once the Pirates’ Tallion gets traded…..? Are you the same yutz who was talking about how Cal Ripken Jr never played in the WS on the Jose Quintana post? This one seems about as informed as that one.
I’m dropping off my kid at college in…Holland (Michigan). Not far from the Tigers (new) A Advanced affiliate.
Coincidence? I think not! Holland pitches near Holland! Just not in Detroit please!
For Love of the Game, I live in Holland, MI. It has to be Hope College you’re kid is attending. Maybe Derek is good enough to play there? I doubt it. Mr. Four home runs and a double before anyone retired needs to play with guys his talent level. LOL
For Love of the Game, I live in Holland, MI. I’m assuming you’re kid is going to Hope College. Derek needs to be pitching to players who are more his talent level rather than major leaguers that he goes homer, double, homer, homer, homer to before anyone is retired in the first inning. Maybe he could pitch for Hope? Naw, those kids are too good for him to pitch to. lol.
Sorry for the double post, I didn’t see that first one go through and assumed I canceled.
Double Dutch.
For the love of Holland, I am from Amsterdam, the Netherlands a.k.a. Holland, so i am Dutch not Deutsch, thats Germany..
( m.youtube.com/watch?v=eE_IUPInEuc )
But about Holland as baseball-related.. sad to see him go as he would be a great piece for the Pirates to get another 1st round pick..
Could always be a lefty in the pen.
While im not gonna say that he’s some sort of hidden ace, Holland’s numbers are a bit misleading. He had 2 really awful outings that account for 17 of the 31 earned runs he gave up and 8 of the 12 home runs he surrendered.
Yeah I remember one of those, when they basically told him that the entire bullpen was exhausted and he was staying in pretty much until his arm fell off… I think he gave up 4 homers in one inning of that game.
I’m going to assume it was the first of those two terrible outings, on August 8th.
The game the day prior to that had seen 7 Pittsburgh relievers used in a extra inning affair, one which they promptly lost 17-13 in 11 innings.
They still ended up using 3 pitchers (and an position player) in relief of Holland’s start to finish the game. What’s worse is that the very next game saw Steven Brault pulled after 2 scoreless innings, leading to them using 4 pitchers in relief.
After that they had 3 days off before their next game, which they would win 9-6 versus the Reds.
Well maybe this year when he has bad outings they won’t count. That would make your point valid.
Mmkay
I’m slightly surprised he even gets a MIL deal. He has been awful for awhile. Southpaws get all the opportunities in the world.
Could be a Kenny Rogers-type role being imagined by the Detroit front office. Not a throw-a-cameraman-to-the-ground type mentorship, but a vet who can show the youngsters a few things to help them out kind of mentorship. Gotta know when to hold ‘em…
RIP Kenny Rogers 🙁
Kenny Rogers is still alive.
Really wanted to like this dude when he was with SF. But he just gets rattled quick in games. Hopefully he makes a late career turnaround
He was also a bit of a jerk as a player opening up his grievances with management decisions to the media. He didn’t leave SF on the best of terms.
A better news headline would be that OJ is driving south.
Good news for White Sox hitters. They crush southpaws. The more the merrier in the AL Central.
With that offense, they should do a lot of crushing this year regardless of pitcher-handedness. Eaton, much as I hate to say it, is an upgrade over Mazara and nearly anybody would be an upgrade over EE last year. If Moncada bounces back and Robert refines his approach a little, they could vie for best offense in the game.
Criminally underrated his entire career, he’ll be in the rotation at some point. At very worst, he’s a good option for long relief should they need it.
He’s way past his prime. Whatever that are paying him is a gift
Go sign Tommy La Stella next and give him the shot at being the everyday second basemen, or at least platoon against righties. If they signed Grossman solely because he takes good at bats, may as well go get another guy who does the same, at a position of need.
Wasn’t it last year that the Tigers hit 4 HRs in the first five batters against him? They figured “we gotta get us some of that!”
Ha, yes you beat me to it. I was going to mention that. At least it was a minor league contact. I mean Daniel Norris is pretty much the same thing on the roster. Lefty starter or multi innings reliever.
That open of the article makes it sound like he’s a stud.
‘Big Al” loves his depth moves…I was all for the rebuild but it’s time to start getting g fans excited…Mize, Manning etc…give me one legit veteran pitcher (Not home run Boyd) or a bat besides Miggy I could cheer for!!!!
‘Big Al’ why don’t you sign Jeremy Bonderman..he is still only 38…till the dice on another ‘depth move’….I am so tired of ‘big Al’!!!!!
His 2018 for the Giants was solid so I’ll always remember him for that. Maybe a pitcher friendly division like the AL central will do him well.
I agree with that his last 3 years have been very awful however he may serve as a middle reliever for the Tigers. I truly don’t see him in the minors for any extended time.
Actually, he’s being considered for starting catcher.
I think Renato Nunez at 1st and Cesar Hernandez at 2nd, Tijuan Walker at P and Avilia at catcher completes the off season.
I don’t even need to say anything, do I?
Depth move, Keep rebuilding Detroit, you will be relevant again soon
Holland was a dumpster dive for the Sox 3 years ago. His career just won’t die.
That being said, pretty smart pickup for the Tigers. They could use him to mop up innings when Mize, Skubal, Manning, etc. just don’t have it that particular day as they hone their skills in Detroit. The Tigers are going to have one very strong rotation in a couple years (quite possibly even next year).
Until then, they have to pick up scrubs like Holland get to get through the suffering of a deep rebuild season. Take it from a fan who just survived a brutal deep rebuild, the Tigers future looks bright. It might take a few years to reap the benefits, but it will come.
My apologies, it was 4 years ago Holland was a dumpster dive for Chicago.
I think this year is a learning year for that rotation. I don’t expect it to really come together for them until 2022. They need more offense, though, to be a playoff contender. Torkelson has all the tools to be a great hitter, but how much do they really have after him on offense?
As far as Holland, yeah, it makes sense to get a cheap guy on basically mop-up duty, but it seems with their low payroll, maybe they’d have been better served going after Walker on a 1-year deal with a team option. If things come together faster than expected, then the rotation is that much better. If it doesn’t, but Walker is good, they can trade him. If Walker sucks, then it’s just money, of which they have plenty.
I really liked Derek Holland as a Ranger when he was here. I am very glad he is still getting the opportunity to play.
Holland was a very bad pitcher wiith the Pirates last year and. Was amazed that they kept him instead of letting Ponce pitch more.They tried to give him away but nobody would take him.