4:30pm: Arizona has announced Holland’s DFA and reinstated Blake Swihart from the 60-day injured list, thus filling his spot on the 25-man and 40-man rosters.
10:07am: The Diamondbacks will designate veteran reliever Greg Holland for assignment, according to Robert Murray of The Athletic (via Twitter). Holland cannot be traded out of DFA limbo but can be claimed by a rival organization.
It’s somewhat difficult, but not impossible, to imagine another club stepping into the shoes of the Holland contract. He’s due the remainder of a $3.25MM guarantee and is also in line to pick up some added bonuses. Having already finished 27 games over forty appearances, Holland is already owed an additional $650K by the Snakes. He can still earn another $100K upon throwing in his 45th and 50th games along with $200K apiece if he reaches 55 and 60. There are also additional potential earnings for further games finished — not that a contender would be likely to utilize Holland in the ninth inning.
If he clears waivers, the 33-year-old Holland will either be released or have the right to elect free agency by virtue of his service time. Regardless, the D-Backs would remain on the hook for all that’s still owed to Holland — except for a pro-rated portion of the league-minimum salary for any time the veteran spends pitching for another team.
Holland seemed to be humming along nicely through June, at which point he had secured a dozen saves and thrown 27 innings of 2.33 ERA ball. As we explained when the struggles began, there were plenty of warning signs of good old-fashioned regression but no particular indications that Holland would completely fall apart.
The situation has simply not improved since. Over his 8 2/3 frames of work since the calendar flipped to July, Holland has dished out eleven free passes to go with nine strikeouts. Opposing batters have plated eleven earned runs. And though he posted a run of five consecutive saves in the midst of that stretch, Holland was removed from the ninth after a pair of brutal late-July appearances against the Marlins.
Even as the results have suffered, Holland has seen his velocity embark upon a steady downturn — with a corresponding decline in the swings and misses against his four-seamer. That fact will surely weigh heavily in the minds of organization’s considering a move for the once-great closer, who has had some stretches of good work in recent years while struggling to maintain consistency.
That didn’t take long…
It took way to long. We wasted the bulk of the season patronizing Godley and Holland. Just think what our record would be had these 2 been off the roster. I am disgusted with Diamondbacks being dragged down by Lovello and Butcher. Get rid of these 2 idiots immediately and the Diamondbacks would still have a chance for the playoffs this year.
You are too blind to see the DBacks are a mediocre team this year, despite Holland/Godley/McFarland/Andriese/Bradley…and the rest of the entire reliever corps. Were you gonna DFA them all?
FWIW we still have a chance for the PO this year btw.
And Hazen makes the roster decisions, not Lovullo nor Butcher.
Andriese and Bradley both had options available. The team could have DFA’d the others. It isn’t as though they are lacking in quality candidates to replace them.
Lovello makes the on field decisions and so many are derelict. Butcher is the pitching and has proven he’s inept. We need field coaches and a manager with baseball knowledge and acumen. After the Diamonsback’s folded up the end of last year Hazen should have replaced Lovello instead of subjecting us with a worse record this year.
This is a terrible take.
Godley I agree… however Holland until July was a shutdown closer, he just lost it beginning with the Dodgers series and never found it.
Holland started falling apart at the beginning of June. The wheels fell off by the beginning of July.
would be good fit for Texas they are in desperate need of any kind of bullpen arms that have a heartbeat
Would be a good no cost fit for Boston as the team breathes on a respirator.
We already have guys that suck
strange how well he started off and then suddenly fell off entirely.
Was thinking same thing
I explain. It because somewimes chubby boy runn outta enwegy. He need Tommy Wan surgery because his arm tired!
Are you like 8?
The hot start was a mirage. ERA can be very misleading
He’s a half season pitcher. Ever since he suffered that injury a few seasons ago, he hasn’t been the same. Body can’t hold up for an entire season. It’s a shame.
Well the Brewers should pick him up to start since we think outside the box some
That’s hardly outside the box. Picking up Lucroy to close, now that’s outside the box!
The yankees didnt make any trade deadline moves and while holland is falling off he could be a option to see if a postseason run gives him any motivation. Small potential of happening.
Who in the yankees pen is he currently better than?
Holder? Cortes? He’s not a surefire upgrade to them either but they aren’t exactly studs themselves. I think there’s far more teams who would be better suited to roll that dice though.
Well he would have to go through every NL team first…and since the Nats bullpen is a dumpster fire I doubt he gets passed them. I doubt he gets passed them.
No one is picking him off waivers. If multiple clubs contact him, he’ll choose…By the way all those Sweihart bashers out there, he will akways remember a team DFAed a player for him who was more $$ than he does.
It was a huge scandal in Pittsburgh when the Pirates cut Juan Nicasio a few years back.
As much or more outrage over that as the Cole or Cutch trades.
Now, they can’t figure out why so many teams need new ski lifts.
At least you aren’t bitter.
I don’t know the Nationals well enough to know all the guys in their pen, but I do know they had a horrible bullpen and just added a few guys. I’m wondering if they could again be a good fit for him? Not sure who he would bump but with how good he did for them last year it seems they would consider him.
A lot of the comments on this article gives a glimpse as to how desperate some fans are about their team’s BP. Holland shouldn’t be getting even a sniff from teams, at this point.
Nats should bring him back.
If only the Red Sox would take a chance at him
He’s still upright and breathing. Someone will give him a shot.
Sure Matt Klentak will try to get him. Klentak is the garbage man for terrible relievers.
I doubt anyone claims him and takes on the salary and bonus $
So, can a team contact the Diamondbacks and say, we’ll claim him and take on his salary if you give us $1 million dollars? Or would that be considered in essence a trade?
If he is released and picked up before the end of August, is he eligible for post season?
I can think of a few teams that would do well if they could grab him on a minor league deal, ship him off to somewhere in the minors where he either tries to work through his problems, or he just goes out and throws an inning every fourth day so that he stays somewhat sharp while also letting him rest some.
The same eligibility rules apply, if he’s in the org before the end of August he’s eligible for postseason roster. Nothing can be exchanged. You claim him and take the salary or risk the potential that someone claims him. He’s not going to be claimed. Someone will give him a milb contract.
I think it would technically be considered a trade, but they could probably claim him and have an under-the-table agreement to make it up to them later. I always think of when the Marlins hired Jim Benedict away from the Pirates and then traded them Trevor Williams for some non-prospect as basically a “makeup trade.”
Either way, I doubt that would happen. At this point, the Diamondbacks probably still owe him about $1 million or so anyway (I haven’t done the math), so it wouldn’t really save them any money to do that.
They’d both get fined once it came out and it would eventually.
DFA has become a phenomena. It has taken off. Will force alot of guys out of the game earlier than they were planning given the volume now
IMO, The Holland DFA isn’t as notable as Hazen’s woody for Swihart.
EVERYBODY has a Woody for Swihart…….Blake might look like a hemroid, but a very attractive hemroid…..
DFA one worthless player and replace him with another worthless player
ah what a reason to DFA him…lol
I would bet some in Kansas City would welcome Holland back with open arms
yes we would