Colorado Rockies: Why are fans hating on a possible Greg Holland move?

On Friday, after news broke that the St. Louis Cardinals had designated for assignment reliever Greg Holland, I immediately wrote an article on the pros and cons on whether the Colorado Rockies should consider signing their former All-Star closer. Then right on cue, the Rockies are now rumored to be considering bringing him back on a minor league deal.

It was not surprising to learn that the Rockies would consider bringing back the guy the who holds the club record for saves (41) in a season. What is surprising is the backlash that this possible move is receiving from fans. Judging by the comments on our articles on Rox Pile (thanks for all of comments by the way, they are appreciated whether they are on Facebook, Twitter, or the articles themselves) and the message boards of our friends at Purple Row and Reddit, there is a ton of hate surrounding the idea of signing Holland.

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But why is there all of the negative feedback?  I understand that the Rockies have bigger problems to solve but this move shouldn’t be a thorn in everyone’s side. Yes, I would like to see them acquire a catcher so they can finally get back to having two on the roster instead of this idiotic three….or trade for a frontline starter… or a right-handed bat to come off the bench (we will see is Matt Holliday has anything left in the tank) but this move is no lose situation for the Rockies.

By signing Holland to a minor league deal, the Rockies will only have to pay him the veteran minimum of around 200k. The Cardinals are on the hook for the rest of the $14 million.

Holland WILL NOT start on the major league roster.  If this deal comes to fruition, he will begin his stint down in Triple-A Albuquerque (or maybe even in a lower level). This will allow him plenty of time work out the kinks that led to his ugly 7.92 ERA in 32 appearances this season.

If he somehow figures things out in the minors, he would bring some much need playoff experience to the bullpen and most likely take Yency Almonte‘s spot. Almonte has been rarely used as he has only pitched in three games since being recalled on June 24th and hasn’t made an appearance in almost a week. Also, don’t forget that the Rockies have another high priced right-hander in the bullpen who hasn’t carried his weight with very similar numbers to Holland. Bryan Shaw has an ugly 7.08 ERA in 40.2 innings and has tempted the trust of Bud Black.

If Holland can get back to any where near the form that made him 3-time All-Star and former World Champion, that adds a much needed arm to the back-end of the bullpen. If he doesn’t, he won’t touch the major league roster and the Rockies are out of $200K. So what is there to hate about signing Greg Holland to a minor league deal?  This is truly a zero risk/high reward move.