Kyle

Holder

Holder signed a minor league contract with the Rockies back in December and has been jettisoned after hitting .197/.277/.276 with two homers in 170 plate appearances this season for Triple-A Albuquerque. The 28-year-old former first-round pick back in 2015 has yet to reach the majors.

Holder adds some upper-level middle infield depth to the Rockies’ minor-league system -- and could potentially serve as a stopgap replacement for free agent superstar shortstop Trevor Story next season -- after hitting .216/.295/.276 at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre with the Yankees last year. The 27-year-old shortstop has yet to make his big-league debut, but he’s an extremely talented defender, who makes sense in a versatile bench role moving forward.

Holder was selected by the Phillies in December’s Rule 5 Draft and then flipped to the Reds in January. Now he’ll return to the Yankees as organizational infield depth. The 26-year-old former first-round pick has yet to reach the majors. He hit .265/.336/.405 with nine homers and seven steals in 112 games at Double-A in 2019.

A Rule 5 selection by the Phillies earlier this offseason, Holder simply fell victim to a 40-man roster crunch after the team inked veteran shortstop Didi Gregorius to a two-year, $28 million deal this week. The 26-year-old infielder spent the previous six years in the Yankees organization after being selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He’s established a reputation as a solid defender and hit .265/.336/.405 with nine homers and seven steals across 472 plate appearances at Double-A Trenton back in 2019. He’ll compete for the Reds’ starting job at shortstop this spring.

Heyman also notes that the Athletics, who failed to re-sign Marcus Semien this offseason, are also in the market for a starting shortstop. The Reds picked up former Rule 5 selection Kyle Holder in a trade with the Phillies after failing to land Didi Gregorius in free agency, and still have incumbent Jose Garcia as a fallback option at the position, but they’re clearly still in the market for an established starting-caliber option on the trade market. If the Tribe elect to move on from Rosario, whom they acquired from the Mets in the Francisco Lindor trade earlier this month, they could roll with Andres Gimenez as their everyday shortstop this season.

Holder was selected by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft this offseason after spending the previous six years in the Yankees minor-league system. The 26-year-old shortstop, who hit .265/.336/.405 with nine homers and seven steals across 472 plate appearances at Double-A Trenton back in 2019, will compete with 22-year-old rookie Jose Garcia for the Reds’ starting job this spring. The Phillies simply didn’t have room for him anymore after re-signing veteran Didi Gregorius to a two-year, $28 million deal earlier this week. The Reds could still pursue another experienced option via free agency or trade, but Holder provides valuable organizational depth as a fallback option in case Garcia isn’t ready to serve as their everyday option at the position this season.

The 26-year-old Holder isn’t likely to turn into a regular, but he’s a quality defensive shortstop and his bat isn’t a total zero. He was last seen hitting .265/.336/.405 in Double-A in 2019. That he doesn’t strike out much is a plus, but he still hasn’t been very successful at hitting for average anyway and his power is quite limited. He’s the kind of player that would be nice to have stashed away in Triple-A as shortstop insurance. Of course, the Phillies can’t do that with him, and they’d likely to prefer to have better hitters available off the bench.

Holder is arguably the best defensive shortstop on the board, as he possesses the range, hands, footwork and plus arm strength needed to stick at the position long term. Ranked by MLB.com as the 51st-best prospect in the class, Holder, a left-handed hitter, has question marks tied to his bat, though some scouts do believe he has untapped potential at the plate. The 21-year-old batted .348/.418/.482 with 20 extra-base hits, 31 RBI and a 19/19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 55 games this spring for San Diego. The Yankees received the No. 30 overall pick from the White Sox as compensation for David Robertson. It has a recommended slot value $1,914,900.