The Royals avoided going to arbitration with Greg Holland when the two sides agreed to a one-year, $4.675MM contract earlier today, and that deal could be a harbinger for a multiyear commitment. There is mutual interest between Holland and the Royals on a long-term deal, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports, though their most recent talks focused only on settling Holland's 2014 contract.
Holland has been one of baseball's top relief arms over the last three seasons, posting a 1.99 ERA and 268 strikeouts (against only 71 walks) in 194 innings out of the K.C. bullpen in 2011-13. Since taking over as the Royals' closer in August 2012, Holland has racked up 63 saves, 47 of which came last season as part of a sterling campaign that saw Holland make the All-Star team and finish ninth in AL Cy Young Award voting.
Holland, a client of Turner Gary Sports, is under team control through 2016. As McCullough notes, Holland will only get more expensive if he keeps up his form over his final two years of arbitration eligibility. A multiyear deal could help Kansas City keep Holland's salary in check, though there's a limit to what a mid-market team like the Royals can reasonably spend on a closer, even an elite one. There's no immediate rush to lock Holland up, but if an extension can't be worked out over the next season or two, K.C. could look to trade the righty and install one of their other top bullpen arms (such as Kelvin Herrera, Aaron Crow, Tim Collins or Luke Hochevar) as closer.
Very under-rated player. This guy basically put up Craig Kimbrel numbers last year in the AL. It’ll be very interesting to see what comes next in Holland’s career and whether he can play a huge role in the Royal’s playoff push for 2014.
not underrated by the smart baseball people, just overlooked/ignored by big media.
Well yeah, I thought that was pretty much a given when I wrote my response.
Trade him to the Rangers so they can have “Holland, Holland, Harrison, Hanson and associates”
we gave you soria, no mas!
I CAN’T WAIT FOR BASEBALL!!!!! There’s ZERO chance Collins and/or Hochevar are ever closing for the Royals. Hoch has been and will continue to be more expensive than Holland, and Collins…..well he’s borderline R’s bullpen material. Wild, inefficient, prone to give up big home runs……short…..(still love ’em). There’s plenty of other candidates that can fill that role should we trade Holland, which I hope we don’t. Unless we’re getting an immediate big impact, corner outfield bat(lol), lock him up and know you’re good in the back of the bullpen for the entirety of this window of opportunity the R’s have.
I’m sick of hoch, he’s making 5 mil as a set up man. I really can’t see anyone else closing besides Holland. Maybe crow if he pitches like he did his rookie year. If he does get traded I’d like to see a major league ready corner outfielder and a high ceiling pitching prospect. Funny how the royals lost Myers and odorizzi, exactly what the royals need right now.