The Rangers announced this evening that reliever Greg Holland has cleared outright waivers and elected minor league free agency. That was always the likeliest outcome once Texas designated him for assignment on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old will now have an opportunity to explore offers from all 30 clubs. He’ll presumably be looking at minor league pacts, as he was this past offseason. Holland tossed 55 2/3 innings over 57 outings for the Royals last year, but he managed below-average production. He posted a 4.85 ERA with a personal-low 21.8% strikeout percentage and an elevated 10.7% walk rate. That led him to sign a non-roster deal with Texas, although Holland cracked the Opening Day roster and locked in a $2.1MM base salary for this season.
Texas remains on the hook for that money. Any team that signs Holland would only owe him a prorated portion of the league minimum salary for whatever time he spends in the big leagues, which would be subtracted from the Rangers’ tab. Despite feeling comfortable enough with his Spring Training form to carry him out of camp, Texas didn’t give Holland much of a look. He made just five appearances in Arlington, serving up as many runs over 4 2/3 innings on six hits (including a trio of homers).
One of the game’s elite late-inning stoppers during his 2011-15 peak in Kansas City, Holland’s performance has been up-and-down since he underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2015 campaign. He returned to save 41 games with a 3.61 ERA for the Rockies in 2017, but he posted an ERA of 4.54 or higher in three of the four seasons between 2018-21. The lone exception was the shortened 2020 season, when he pitched to a sterling 1.91 mark with a 27.7% strikeout rate during a reunion year with the Royals.
Despite his recent struggles, Holland shouldn’t have a problem finding a minor league deal somewhere. Not only is he a respected 12-year MLB veteran who reached heights few of his peers matched, Holland has still generated swinging strikes at a solid rate in recent seasons. His average fastball checked in at a capable 93.8 MPH during his brief look in Texas.
He will go to the Dodgers and be runner-up for the Cy-young.
Wow. Nice investment Texas.
Well, in the future it shows free agents in that situation that this is a team that’s not afraid to lock in the contract and give me a chance, rather than cut me just before the money kicks in. Makes for a more attractive signing destination.
This guy’s better than every pitcher in Miami’s bullpen.
WAT
Speaking of Holland are they just going to keep Bauer out forever? Either you’ve got the goods for a suspension by now or you don’t.
As much as we shouldn’t be conversing on this yeah get it over with
Since when is rough s*x a crime in mlb?? Make a decision already.
It’s possible to be a reprehensible person without being convicted in a court of law. This is not a difficult concept.
Yeah, one does wonder what *else* they could be waiting on. They meat & potatoes should’ve been done with the criminal stuff.
I do wonder if MLB is trying to balance making an aesthetically pleasing decision (publicly), while not getting themselves into a jam with an overreach. There’s no precedent so there’s that too.
MLB doesn’t seem to have any problem with an overreach. Broward County prosecutors found no cause to charge Aroldis Chapman in a case where his girlfriend obviously gave false testimony to the 911 operator, but Manfred still suspended Chapman.
sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-aroldis-chapman-…
The issue is he already retroactive suspended Ozuna who was caught on video hitting his wife, thiss whys Boulder he do the same for Bauer?
Wow, thus why shouldn’t he
Don’t forget, Bauer’s accusor is a groupie, a daughter of a college baseball manager at a Catholic University (whose alumni include Kris Bryant and Connor Joe and Padres owner Ron Fowler was a supporter), was fired by the Padres for bedding Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Mike “in a committed relationship with a baby involved” Cleavinger.
Trevor Bauer should be reinstated! Being out of competition is also hurting his long-term career. He should also go after his accusor even though MLB is keeping his pay flowing. (Which is taxed at a higher rate because 100% is being “earned” in tax-happy California.)
This “victim” put what she wanted in writing and that is a legal fact. MLB is acting woke, Disney is learning how that ends up…
Bauer himself ADMITTED to horrific and violent and mysogenistic behavior. There is NO question that his behavior was horrific. The only question is can he be prosecuted. But go ahead and blame the victim.
It’s gotten to the point where MLB is clearly kicking this can down the road to keep from announcing a decision. They’ve had more than 9 months to work on this, and we’re to believe they still haven’t figured it out? Manfred just doesn’t want to say the words.
Shhhhhhhh no talking about Trevor Bauer it’s forbidden.
As washed up as he is, Holland would be the 7th inning guy in Minnesota.
Plus he fits their budget.
Bauer is a dbag but innocent.
Careful, Bauer is off limits here. Covid misinformation is okay though if you want to have at it.
Can anyone tell me why this site won’t let you discuss that topic? Why can’t I discuss adult topics?
Because we are prone to aggressive arguments and we shouldn’t be discussing this level of philosophical differences on a baseball server. Yet I agree as the comments are clearly a consensual section off the site and app.
No Bauer talk anti vax Q nuts feel free to rant here!
Not to get all Little Bill on things, but, innocent of what? Innocent not of being horrible, because to describe his actions as horrible is being mild, but because he’s technically not able to be convicted of a crime, it’s supposed to be all good? Great, let’s bake him a cake.
They were doing BDSM stuff. There are text messages that clearly say she was cool with everything. She only turned when he cheated on her.
Agreed Lord Shade. Women like her are the scourge of the bdsm/alt community. She agreed to everything he wanted to do.
@lord WTF? Missionary only. Why? That’s why.
Holland will land somewhere this season but he should call it a career…
Why are the comments disabled for the Bauer post?
Are the league and the union just going to keep extending this thing forever? At what point does Bauer sue the league and the union?
I think they are disabled because in order to discuss the details one must get so disturbingly graphic with the unpleasantness of it all that it becomes inappropriate for a baseball conversation. Such were the admitted actions of this man.
It’s possible to discuss the actions of the legal system, MLB, and the MLBPA without going into the details of his personal life. At this point, the legal system has declared the actions behind closed doors were those of consenting adults. However, MLB and MLBPA are still punishing him. I really don’t care one way or the other, but I believe MLB and MLBPA are putting themselves on shaky legal ground.
You cannot morally use violence like that, consent or not. Legally perhaps but what Bauer did was incredibly terrible. The details of his “personal life”, ie he likes to be violent with women, certainly ARE relevant, in fact this IS the very heart of the subject. I suggest you look into those details before you defend him.
AA get it done.
Pirates will be all over him.