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MLB Free Agency 2017: Top 5 potential teams for Greg Holland

By Joshua Sadlock

DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 4: Greg Holland #56 of the Colorado Rockies looks on against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on September 4, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 4: Greg Holland #56 of the Colorado Rockies looks on against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on September 4, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 09: Pitcher Archie Bradley #25 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws during the seventh inning of the National League Divisional Series game three against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on October 9, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 09: Pitcher Archie Bradley #25 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws during the seventh inning of the National League Divisional Series game three against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on October 9, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

Signing Greg Holland away from the Rockies would serve two purposes for the Arizona Diamondbacks. There’s obviously the benefit of stealing him away from a rival, but the Diamondbacks are also in need of a closer after seeing Fernando Rodney head off into his own free agency. The 40-year-old Rodney made things interesting in his only season with Arizona, but did manage to save 39 games.

After struggling for two years as a starter, former number-seven pick Archie Bradley was moved to the Arizona bullpen in 2017 and found success. He had a 1.73 ERA in 73 innings with 79 strikeouts. Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen expects Bradley back in his bullpen in 2018, but would prefer to keep his star reliever freed up for different roles rather than locking him into the ninth inning.

"“We’re going to bring him into camp, stretch him out, but it’s likely he’s going to be in the ‘pen,” D-backs general manager Mike Hazen said Tuesday from the General Managers Meetings in Orlando, Fla. “We haven’t specifically discussed his role. I think he’ll continue in the back-end of the bullpen. We haven’t ruled out closing, but we’ll see what happens as we put the team together. We just want to put him in any situation that he can have an impact on the game.”"

It does make sense for the Diamondbacks to keep Bradley available for multi-inning usage rather than shoehorning him into the closer role. His ability to go more than one inning at a time is valuable. That leaves Arizona still needing a closer, and without elite prospects to pull off a trade for Zach Britton or another potentially available name, the free-agent market and Greg Holland make sense.

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