According to multiple sources, free agent reliever Greg Holland has signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. According to Jon Heyman, the deal will be for a base salary of $3.5 million with incentives that total another $3.5 million. Arizona will be the fifth team Holland will pitch for having previous stints with the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals.
Holland spent six seasons with the Royals–from 2010 to 2015–and became their full-time closer in 2013. The right-hander converted 47 of 50 save opportunities that year and set the Royals single season. He played in his first of three All-Star games in 2013.
The 2014 season was also an All-Star year for Holland has he converted 46 of 48 save opportunities while pitching to a 1.44 ERA. In the playoffs, he saved a record-tying seven games including all four wins in the ALCS. On October 22, he won the inaugural Mariano Rivera Award for his outstanding performance as a closer.
In the 2015 season, after amassing 32 saves, doctors discovered a “significant tear” in his right ulnar collateral ligament. The Royals announced in September that Holland’s season was over and he would likely need Tommy John Surgery and that he would likely miss the entire 2016 season. He underwent the surgery in October as his teammates won a World Series against the New York Mets. The Royals released him after the season and Holland became a free agent for the first time.
Holland signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies on January 26, 2017 after missing the entire 2016 season recovering from his surgery. In May, he broke the Rockies franchise record by converting 16 consecutive saves to start a season. He won the NL Reliever of the Month award for both April and May and was selected for his third All-Star appearance. Although he slumped later in the summer, he still finished the season with 41 saves to lead the National League. He was awarded the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Holland chose not to exercise a player option for 2018 and became a free-agent again. The St. Louis Cardinals signed to a one-year contract worth $14 million. Holland struggled with the Cardinals, pitching to a 7.92 ERA in 25 innings pitched. He was designated for assignment on July 27 and outright released on August 1.
In August of 2018, he signed a contract with the Washington Nationals. Holland pitched much better for Washington as he would own a 2-0 record in 24 appearances with three saves and a 0.84 ERA.
Greg Holland certainly has been a top flight closer for most of his career. If he picks up from where he left off with the Nationals, the Diamondbacks will have gotten a proven reliever for a very reasonable cost.
