Greg

Holland

Holland was designated for assignment after giving up four runs in his 4 2/3 innings with the Rangers. He’s now free to sign with another club, and could find a spot with a team looking for some depth in their system. It’s very likely his days of fantasy relevance are over.

Holland had surrendered five runs -- four earned -- through just 4 2/3 innings of work this season. The veteran reliever inked a minor league contract with Texas back around the delayed start of spring training.

Holland, 36, secured a spot in the Rangers’ pen after throwing five scoreless frames this spring. He’s probably not going to be in the saves mix, but he’ll give the Rangers an experienced arm out of the gate this season.

Levi Weaver of The Athletic adds that Holland will earn $2.1 million if he makes the majors this season. The halcyon days that featured lights-out ninth-inning work aren’t coming back, but he’ll augment the Rangers’ bullpen depth heading into the 2022 regular season. The 36-year-old veteran righty has a legitimate shot at cracking Texas’s Opening Day roster after posting a respectable 4.85 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 53/26 K/BB ratio across 55 2/3 innings (57 appearances) last year with the Royals.

No word on the financial terms yet. Holland isn’t the lights-out stopper he was earlier in his career, but he should give the Rangers some additional high-leverage bullpen depth this upcoming season. The 36-year-old veteran righty posted a respectable 4.85 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 53/26 K/BB ratio across 55 2/3 innings (57 appearances) last year with the Royals.

Holland will be back in the Kansas City bullpen on Thursday versus the Orioles after missing a little over three weeks because of a right shoulder issue. He has posted a rough 5.79 ERA across 46 2/3 innings this season at age 35.

The severity of the injury isn’t yet clear. Holland has allowed nine runs (eight earned) in three innings over his last four appearances, giving him a 5.79 ERA on the year. The Royals aren’t winning many games these days, but Scott Barlow is the top option in this bullpen in fantasy leagues.

The veteran right-hander needed just 13 pitches to retire all three hitters that he faced in the ninth inning -- including strikeouts of Victor Reyes and Derek Hill. Royals skipper Mike Matheny continues to mix and match in the ninth inning, with Holland sharing opportunities with Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont.

It was about as easy as they come as far as save opportunities go, as Barlow faced 6-7-8 in the Brewers’ order as he protected a three-run lead. He did his job, though, throwing just 11 pitches and getting a strikeout. Greg Holland got a save Tuesday, but it’s not clear whether he was available in this one, as it would have been his third appearance in four days. All signs point to this continuing to be a two-man committee for the time being, although perhaps things will clarify themselves after the trade deadline.

It’s been hard to fathom why the Royals had gone back to Holland in the closer’s role of late, but in their defense, they did at least use their four best relievers prior to turning the ball over the Holland tonight. They might have been in better shape to win this one if they hadn’t brought Danny Duffy back to throw two innings as a starter. Holland might remain a candidate for saves in the Kansas City pen, but it’s really Scott Barlow and Josh Staumont who should be getting the team’s biggest outs.