Looking to solidify their bullpen going into the 2017 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers were among the teams to attend a showcase held by former Kansas City Royals closer Greg Holland.
Holland missed all of this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2015. He last pitched that year in mid-September and thus was not part of the Royals’ run to a World Series title.
Since the showcase was just 13 months removed from the surgery, Holland’s fastball velocity was down from what he threw prior to the operation.
With the Dodgers two best relievers, Kenley Jansen and Joe Blanton, both being free agents, Holland could be an interesting option for the club if they are unable able to re-sign Jansen, or sign Aroldis Chapman or Mark Melancon — the other top closers on the market.
According to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, any team that wants to sign Holland will likely have to commit to the soon-to-be 31-year-old for multiple seasons, although the contract will likely be incentive-based:
Holland’s representative, Scott Boras, said teams that do not think they can shop in the Chapman/Jansen/Melancon aisle have told him they are in on Holland. He said he anticipates doing a multi-year deal because that is Holland’s desire, but not for significant length. It is possible Holland, who turns 31 later this month, could sign a two-year deal with a good — but not great — base salary and a lot of incentives to get his salary high if he performs well.
In 2015, Holland converted 32 saves with a 3.83 ERA, 3.27 FIP and 1.46 WHIP. He was an All-Star in 2013 and 2014, recording a combined 93 saves with a 1.32 ERA and averaging 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings during that span.
While Holland immediately returning to the level of a strong closer isn’t a likely scenario, pairing the right-hander at the back of a bullpen with Jansen or Chapman could make for one of the best late-inning duos in baseball.
