Headlines

  • Brewers Place Trevor Megill On IL Due To Flexor Strain, Sign Erick Fedde
  • Guardians Place Carlos Santana On Outright Waivers
  • Pirates Designate Andrew Heaney For Assignment
  • Astros Reinstate Yordan Alvarez From Injured List
  • Nathan Eovaldi Likely Out For Season Due To Rotator Cuff Strain
  • Mets To Promote Jonah Tong
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Nationals Sign Greg Holland

By Jeff Todd | August 7, 2018 at 9:04am CDT

After reportedly agreeing to terms over the weekend, the Nationals have officially struck a deal with veteran reliever Greg Holland. Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post tweeted the news, which has now been announced by the team.

Holland will head straight onto the Nats’ MLB roster, the team announced. Righty Jimmy Cordero was optioned back to Triple-A to create space.

In a sense, this represents a culmination of years of dalliances between Holland and the Nationals. Though the sides did not line up during either of his trips onto the open market, the Scott Boras client obviously held appeal all along to the D.C. organization.

Of course, the premise is quite a bit different now than it was in the prior two winters. Holland was recently cut loose by the Cardinals after a rough stint with the team. The St. Louis organization will remain responsible for the remainder of his $14MM annual salary, less a pro-rated portion of the league minimum.

This move represents the latest twist in the Nats’ recent bullpen saga. Even as the club decided not to blow things up at the deadline, it moved veteran reliever Brandon Kintzler. Days later, the team designated and dealt Shawn Kelley after he slammed his glove and stared into the team’s dugout in the midst of a mop-up outing.

In parting with those two hurlers and adding Holland, the Nationals are certainly taking some chances while saving salary. It’s arguable, at best, whether there’s greater upside in the current mix; the floor, surely, is lower.

Holland has a history of excellence and was a quality performer for much of the 2017 season. But he’ll now rejoin former ’pen mate Kelvin Herrera — a mid-season acquisition in Washington — with considerably less fanfare than he would have at most points in the past.

After all, through 25 frames this year, Holland has coughed up exactly as many earned runs and walks as he has recorded strikeouts, with 22 of each. That startling fact is backed by some other problems. Holland has lost another mile per hour on his fastball, even against his diminished post-Tommy John levels. And he’s generating swinging strikes at an 11.8% rate that’s the lowest since his first, brief taste of the majors in 2010.

If there’s cause for optimism, it lies in Holland’s relatively improved work since he took some time off in the middle of the season. He was tuned up for five earned runs in a July 8th appearance against the Giants, but otherwise has thrown 11 innings over which he allowed three earned runs with an 11:5 K/BB ratio since his return in mid-June.

Share 0 Retweet 11 Send via email0

Newsstand Transactions Washington Nationals Greg Holland

Diamondbacks Designate Deven Marrero
Main
Nexen Heroes Sign Jerry Sands, Release Michael Choice
View Comments (20)
Post a Comment

20 Comments

  1. Falsehope

    7 years ago

    Rizzo really ‘believes in this team’

    1
    Reply
  2. aussiegiants53

    7 years ago

    Rizzo doing his mate Boras a solid here…

    1
    Reply
    • snotrocket

      7 years ago

      Looks like it.

      Reply
    • lesterdnightfly

      7 years ago

      Actually, it’s the Lerner family (Nats owners) who are tight with Boras. Rizzo has to defer when the higher-ups agree on such deals.

      We shall see if the addition of Holland in the Nats’ bullpen helps make up for the puzzling, impetuous dumpings of Kintzler and Kelley.

      3
      Reply
      • majorflaw

        7 years ago

        “ . . . the puzzling, impetuous dumpings of Kintzler and Kelley.”

        What part of this don’t you get, lester? The team was going nowhere as it was, you know that, right? Rizzo/Martinez thought that the dynamic Kelley and Kintzler brought to the BP was hurting the team and they decided to change it. They have gone roughly 6-2 since. A cheap—both in $ and talent—attempted fix is impetuous but trading Soto, Robles and Romero for Realmuto would have been a solid baseball move?

        Reply
    • bradthebluefish

      7 years ago

      Curious when all these Boras fans do him a solid what the return is. It isn’t like I see Boras try to give a team a discount.

      Reply
  3. lowtalker1

    7 years ago

    This seems odd considering they have been fading with play. I remember he was on a one year deal or did they get him with a major league deal with option?

    Reply
    • stollcm

      7 years ago

      Straight up one year deal

      Reply
    • brewsingblue82

      7 years ago

      He was a one year deal I believe. So it’ll likely be two months and gone unless he miraculously turns it around and they resign him in the offseason. Not having him spend at least a few days in the minors could be a mistake though.

      1
      Reply
      • MBDaGod

        7 years ago

        Probably will be relegated to mop up duty at first. Maybe put him in a 35 to 1 game and see if he throws a tantrum.

        1
        Reply
        • majorflaw

          7 years ago

          Just pitched a scoreless ninth in the first game of a twin bill. The score was 8-3 at the time. Don’t think Holland is in any position to be making demands. I’m sure this was worked out before he signed.

          Reply
    • CardsNation5

      7 years ago

      One year deal. No option

      Reply
  4. Solaris601

    7 years ago

    This seems like an odd move for Rizzo to make. Holland’s season has clearly been a train wreck so far. The Nats cannot afford to lose any more ground in the standings, so I don’t know if I’d want Holland anywhere near the mound in a tight game right now.

    1
    Reply
  5. Codeeg

    7 years ago

    Not at all worth the draft pick he cost. Then again I can’t really think of any relief pitcher worth a QO unless you’re the team offering it.

    Reply
  6. 66TheNumberOfTheBest

    7 years ago

    Maybe letting an agent use your team as his scrapyard isn’t the best idea.

    1
    Reply
  7. mike156

    7 years ago

    Gift to Boras, but 3 possibilities: Holland is good, and the Nats gain the post-season, Holland is good, but Nats sputter, and they trade him before August 31, or Holland is bad, and the cut him loose. The only want Nats are hurt is if he blows high leverage situations, and I would suspect he won’t get them right away.

    1
    Reply
    • Yeti

      7 years ago

      Right, they got rid of a late-inning reliever and his direct replacement will only pitch in garbage time. Somehow that can be spun as a positive…?

      Reply
  8. lonechicken

    7 years ago

    1 inning, 3 Ks in today’s first game of the doubleheader… championship! :p

    Okay, well as long as he at least helps limit the damage in these low leverage situations, it’s not a terrible move.

    1
    Reply
  9. Yeti

    7 years ago

    But all the Nats fans said he was just AAA depth? And that he definitely wasn’t a replacement for Kelley? What happened to that?

    1
    Reply
  10. Luke Strong

    7 years ago

    The Nats managed to blunder their entire free ride period with Harper along with Scherzer’s prime… signing a washed reliever is not the act of a competitive team. With all the pieces they have and another postseason slipping away, it’s pretty obvious it’s a flawed build, and management should have been more proactive when they still had a chance this season. They need a new GM. That’s the reality.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Brewers Place Trevor Megill On IL Due To Flexor Strain, Sign Erick Fedde

    Guardians Place Carlos Santana On Outright Waivers

    Pirates Designate Andrew Heaney For Assignment

    Astros Reinstate Yordan Alvarez From Injured List

    Nathan Eovaldi Likely Out For Season Due To Rotator Cuff Strain

    Mets To Promote Jonah Tong

    BBWAA To Institute Relief Pitcher Of The Year Award In 2026

    Zack Wheeler Recommended For Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Surgery

    Frankie Montas Done For 2025 Due To “Pretty Significant” UCL Injury

    Orioles Extend Samuel Basallo

    Astros Sign Craig Kimbrel

    Pirates Promote Bubba Chandler

    Evan Carter Diagnosed With Fractured Wrist

    Blue Jays Activate Shane Bieber

    MLB, ESPN Nearing Deal Involving MLB.TV And In-Market Rights For Five Clubs

    Rays Promote Carson Williams

    Red Sox To Promote Jhostynxon Garcia, Place Wilyer Abreu On IL

    Kyle Tucker Was Diagnosed With Hairline Hand Fracture In June

    Félix Bautista Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Expected To Miss 12 Months

    Phillies Place Zack Wheeler On Injured List With Blood Clot

    Recent

    MLBTR Podcast: A Conversation With Pirates GM Ben Cherington — Also The O’s, Zack Wheeler, And The Rangers

    MLB Mailbag: Kyle Tucker, Nick Lodolo, Bo Bichette, Rays, Mets

    Cubs To Place Jameson Taillon On Injured List

    Orioles To Move To Six-Man Rotation

    Rockies Move Antonio Senzatela To Bullpen

    Royals Sign Geoff Hartlieb To Minor League Deal

    Nationals To Select CJ Stubbs

    Diamondbacks Designate Tristin English For Assignment, Select Taylor Rashi

    Drew Millas Suffers Finger Fracture

    Poll: The Rangers And The Waiver Wire

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version