It probably isn’t the deal he expected, but relief pitcher Greg Holland has finally found a home with the St. Louis Cardinals.
It might be Opening Day, but that hasn’t stopped the St. Louis Cardinals from adding to their team. Bob Nightengale broke the news late this morning that closer Greg Holland had signed a one year contract with the N.L. Central powerhouse.
The #STLCards get a steal grabbing Greg Holland for one year deal at $14 million as Holland market plummeted after collapsed early talks with #Rockies
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 29, 2018
It’s kind of crazy that it took to literally the first pitch of the season for Holland to sign. Sure, he is 32 years old. He was still coming off a dynamite season 41 saves in Colorado. The ERA was fairly high but that’s to be expected when you pitch in Coors Field. His WHIP was good at 1.15 and he’s got an excellent track record of holding the lead in the ninth.
For the Cardinals, this is a huge deal. They stayed very quiet in free agency, although they made a big trade to bring in outfielder Marcell Ozuna. One of the weakest spots on the roster appeared to be the bullpen. Their closer was supposed to be Luke Gregerson but he’s already injured. Dominic Leone and Tyler Lyons would have been battling for saves. That’s not ideal for a team with postseason dreams.
The N.L. Central will be a hard fought division this year. The Cubs, Brewers, and Cardinals are all going to battle for supremacy. Only one team can win the division and the others will be left to fight for a Wild Card spot. Having Holland at the backend of the bullpen could swing a number of games for the Cards. In a tight race, closing games without being worried about blowing a save is a huge advantage.
A timeline for Holland isn’t immediately available. Since he didn’t have any type of organized Spring Training, it would stand to reason he will need a couple weeks to get up to speed. Even if he misses 10-15 games, he could still pay off in spades this year.
Next: Top Starting Pitcher Of All-Time From Every MLB Team
Somehow, the Cardinals always seem to find these gems when they need them the most. Sometimes it’s a key free agent and other times it’s a player that comes out of nowhere. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Cards work their magic as usual and Holland ends with at least 35 saves.