Colorado Rockies Ranking the 40-Man Roster: 15-11

Number 11

Greg Holland: Relief Pitcher Points: 66 Highest Rank: 7 Lowest: 14

Holland agreed to a contract with the Rockies in late January. It was a huge deal for the Rockies, who added one of baseball’s best relievers over the past five seasons. The only drawback is the fact that Holland underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of 2015, keeping him sidelined all of last year. The contract is for one year with an option for 2018, and a multitude of incentives based on Holland’s performance.

From 2013-2015, Holland served as the primary closer for the ultra-competitive Royals team. He accumulated 125 saves during these three seasons. Over 174 innings, he had an ERA below 2.00, and was striking out 12.5 batters per 9 innings. The other important thing is that he was constantly in high leverage situations for a team in contention and throughout the playoffs, which is obviously extremely valuable experience.

It remains to be seen whether Holland will be able to regain his form, but with Adam Ottavino coming off the same surgery successfully I like his chances.

In a showcase in November, Holland’s velocity was clocked around 90 MPH, which is lower than during his time with Kansas City. This was intentional as the reliever did not feel he was at the point in his rehab to be comfortable letting it loose. He says his goal for the showcase was to show that he “could still pitch.”

Next: See Which Players Ranked 16-20

Holland will reunite with Steve Foster, who was a pitching coach for the Royals prior to joining the Rockies in 2014. My prediction is that Holland will start the year in a set up type role, being deployed whenever Bud Black feels the situation is most dire. It would not surprise me to see him shift into the closer role as the season moves forward in hopes of him shutting the door in crucial games down the stretch.