GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It's still a little weird for Derek Holland to refer to himself as a veteran, but the 30-year-old is entering his ninth season in the majors and has 14 postseason appearances to his name, including four in the World Series.
So Holland, along with left-hander Jose Quintana and right-handers James Shields and Miguel Gonzalez, has assumed the role of being a resource for some of the White Sox prized pitching prospects this spring. And the 30-year-old Holland said he's liked what he's seen so far from guys like Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.
"I like where their heads are at," Holland said. "They're working really hard, they're taking this opportunity and running with it. They're not sitting here trying to make the team on Day 1. They're working, doing what they need to do. They're not worried about whether or not they're on the team or if they go down. Their main focus is I'm here, I want to learn from these guys and they're going to try to get better every time they go out."
In addition to roundly praising the work put in by pitching coach Don Cooper with them this spring, those young White Sox pitchers have also lauded the benefits of having veterans like Holland around the clubhouse.
"These guys have been around baseball for a long time," Giolito said. "They've had their ups and downs, and they've learned from experience. Being able to pick their brains and understand what they've been through, how to apply that to my own game, I'll take that any day of the week for sure."
Eventually, the White Sox hope Kopech, Giolito and Lopez will establish themselves as major league starters. The work to get to that point is happening on the fields here at Camelback Ranch, but in the clubhouse, they're also learning how to carry themselves at baseball's highest level, too.
"They're all over us, the veteran guys," Holland said. "… They're asking questions, I'm spending time with each one of them and they're in the right mindset. I wouldn't be any happier if I was a White Sox fan. It's awesome stuff."