Headlines

  • Braves Extend Brian Snitker
  • Giants, Scott Kazmir Agree To Minor League Deal
  • Yankees Sign Justin Wilson
  • Braves Sign Jake Lamb
  • Athletics Sign Mitch Moreland
  • Yankees Re-Sign Brett Gardner
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • 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
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • Last 100 Comments
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Royals, Greg Holland Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | January 28, 2020 at 8:24pm CDT

8:24pm: Holland can earn $1.25MM upon making the Royals’ roster with another $1.125MM available via incentive pay, tweets Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com.

7:53pm: The Royals have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Greg Holland, tweets Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. He’ll be in Major League camp this spring and look to secure a spot in the team’s bullpen. The agreement marks a reunion between the two sides, as Holland was a 2007 draftee of the Royals and starred in their bullpen from 2011-15 before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Holland’s return from Tommy John surgery in 2017 proved to be a success, as he anchored the bullpen for a Rockies club that secured an NL Wild Card playoff berth and paced the senior circuit in both games finished (58) and saves (41). Holland logged a 3.61 ERA and averaged 11 punchouts per nine innings that year, but he showed some worrying red flags late in the summer and struggled to find the type of lucrative deal he’d hoped in free agency.

The right-hander eventually signed an Opening Day deal with the Cardinals (where current Royals skipper Mike Matheny was managing at the time), locking in a $14MM salary for the 2018 campaign. Holland sprinted through a minor league tuneup and was in the big leagues just nine days after signing, and the veteran closer never seemed to find his footing. He posted a disastrous 7.92 ERA in 25 innings as a Cardinal before being released in a summer bullpen shakeup … only to latch on with the Nationals and rattle off 21 1/3 innings of 0.82 ERA ball. A once-again resurgent Holland landed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks last winter and posted a 4.54 ERA with 10.3 K/9 against an unpalatable 6.1 BB/9 before being released in August.

Kansas City is clearly hoping that the reunion will yield dividends, although five full seasons have elapsed since the now-34-year-old Holland turned in a full, dominant season of relief work. That said, the Royals’ bullpen is hardly a collection of juggernaut relievers, either. Starter-turned-closer Ian Kennedy is again in line for ninth-inning duties, but the entire setup is unproven. Hard-throwing Scott Barlow showed flashes of brilliance in 2019 but lacked consistency. Right-hander Kevin McCarthy was a durable middle man but struggled to miss bats. Southpaw Tim Hill has had mixed results in his two big league seasons but is coming off a quality ’19 campaign.

Other options in the K.C. ’pen include injury reclamation Jesse Hahn, waiver claim Randy Rosario, injury-prone former first rounder Kyle Zimmer and Rule 5 pick Stephen Woods. Suffice it to say, there’s plenty of room for Holland (and others) to force his way into the mix if he can impress Royals decision-makers this spring. It’s quite arguable, in fact, that the Royals should’ve done more to address such an uncertain unit this winter, although much of the relief market has already been picked clean.

Share 0 Retweet 11 Send via email0

Greg Holland Kansas City Royals Transactions

Luis Urias To Miss 6-8 Weeks After Hamate Bone Surgery
Main
Tony Barnette Retires
26 comments
newest oldest

Comments

  1. Royalsfan12

    1 year ago

    Glad to see a familiar face coming to the Royals.

    1 Like
    Reply
  2. Losbravos69

    1 year ago

    Kinda surprised he didn’t get a ML deal

    2 Like
    Reply
    • dugdog83

      1 year ago

      Yah me too.

      1 Like
      Reply
  3. Eatdust666

    1 year ago

    Not bad

    1 Like
    Reply
  4. Ejemp2006

    1 year ago

    Dyson next

    1 Like
    Reply
    • Royalsfan12

      1 year ago

      I second that

      Like
      Reply
    • goalieguy41

      1 year ago

      Thought he’s under investigation for abusing his girlfriend

      Like
      Reply
      • goalieguy41

        1 year ago

        Fusing

        Like
        Reply
        • goalieguy41

          1 year ago

          Dyson I mean

          Like
          Reply
        • GareBear

          1 year ago

          He’s referring to Jarrod not Sam

          Like
          Reply
  5. KCRoyals

    1 year ago

    Low cost, decent reward potential. If he can pitch even halfway close to what he did before, he’ll be an improvement… As for it being a MINOR league deal, not really a surprise. He’s most likely going to make the team anway…so it just gives them some time during spring training before they have to make a roster move for him.

    1 Like
    Reply
    • case

      1 year ago

      The trade return would be the real potential. Half year reliever rentals have been getting good offers from playoff bound teams, if Holland puts it back together he’d be great trade bait, especially for cost conscious teams that can’t take on a lot of salary.

      Like
      Reply
  6. TLB2001

    1 year ago

    No such thing as a bad minor league deal and I love Holly coming home.

    Like
    Reply
  7. rycm131

    1 year ago

    Booya!

    Like
    Reply
    • JohnnyBets67

      1 year ago

      Kramer!

      Like
      Reply
  8. Rangers29

    1 year ago

    It’s nice to see Holland joining forces with the Royal family.

    Like
    Reply
  9. HalosHeavenJJ

    1 year ago

    So it’s all about being the second team. Let him implode and get cut, grab him, profit.

    Like
    Reply
  10. crazylarry

    1 year ago

    They need to sign Tijuan Walker

    Like
    Reply
  11. driftcat28

    1 year ago

    Love reunion stories. Hope Holland has something left in the tank back in KC

    Like
    Reply
  12. Throw Like a Girl

    1 year ago

    Welcome home, Dutch

    Like
    Reply
  13. jonesadoug

    1 year ago

    welcome home dirty south

    Like
    Reply
  14. spinach

    1 year ago

    Bring back Country Breakfast.

    Like
    Reply
    • Dad

      1 year ago

      After he left it leaked out that not only was he a clubhouse cancer but a “my stats I’m a jerk dick kind of guy “ too!

      Like
      Reply
  15. D0m

    1 year ago

    LOL could of had big money from the Rockies, will probably rebound a bit in KC tho just never going to get what he could of.

    Like
    Reply
  16. Phiilies2020

    1 year ago

    Like this move a lot. They also signed Trevor Rosenthal a couple of months ago. If those two can both rebound to previous form, that pen will be formidable. That’s a big “if” however, but it doesnt hurt to have as much pitching depth as possible.

    Like
    Reply
  17. Dad

    1 year ago

    That ballpark suppresses long balls ( respect to Soler ) Holland will be league average, Rosenthal will still walk the bases loaded and give up a slam before Matheny will have anyone getting warm. I love the Royals, my second favorite team behind the Cardinals.Why did they hire Matheny?

    Like
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Braves Extend Brian Snitker

    Giants, Scott Kazmir Agree To Minor League Deal

    Yankees Sign Justin Wilson

    Braves Sign Jake Lamb

    Athletics Sign Mitch Moreland

    Yankees Re-Sign Brett Gardner

    Giants To Sign Jake McGee

    Mariners CEO Kevin Mather Resigns

    Athletics Sign Trevor Rosenthal

    Padres Extend Fernando Tatis Jr.

    Recent

    Diamondbacks Designate Travis Bergen, Keury Mella For Assignment

    Cubs To Re-Sign Ryan Tepera

    Braves Extend Brian Snitker

    Central Notes: Bryant, Cruz, Alberto, White Sox

    MLBTR Poll: Grading The Fernando Tatis Jr. Extension

    Blue Jays, Tommy Milone Agree To Minors Deal

    MLBTR Chat Transcript

    Mets, Caleb Joseph Agree To Deal

    NL Central Notes: Senzel, Pirates, Vogelbach

    Angels Acquire Jack Mayfield, Designate Robel Garcia

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Kris Bryant Rumors
    • Jackie Bradley Jr. Rumors
    • Jake Odorizzi Rumors
    • Taijuan Walker Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • 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
    • Indians 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

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • 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

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version