Derek Holland: Worth Picking Up?
By Brad Kelly
A key part in the Texas Rangers’ blueprint going forward, was always going to be the insertion of Derek Holland at the top of rotation. Since his promotion to a full-time starter in 2011, Holland has shown that he can have success at the big league level and has shown flashes of ace like upside.
There are still some expectations that Derek Holland can eventually showcase his ace like ability on a more consistent basis, but at the age of 28, Holland’s ceiling may already be set. But, his ceiling is not all that bad, even if he winds up being a SP3 or 4 innings eater, that skill set still has value.
Over the last two seasons, Derek Holland has bitten by the injury bug. Last season, he had the fluke injury where he tripped over his dog, and tore up his knee as a result. This sidelined him for most of the 2014 season, but he did find a way to come back later in the year.
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In 2015, it seemed as though Holland was primed for a bounce back season, but he suffered an even scarier injury in April, where he tore a muscle in his shoulder. As well all know elbow and shoulder injuries are huge red flags, so the Rangers were extremely patient with Holland’s rehab.
After a four-month rehab, Holland is scheduled to make his return today against the Mariners. In his minor league starts this season, Derek Holland did not have great success. But, as in the case of a lot of veteran guys, these minor league results can be taken with a grain of salt, as veterans approach these games as basically glorified simulated games. Holland even admitted this as so, saying that he essentially just used these starts to refine his breaking stuff.
For fantasy owners Holland has some value going forward because we are familiar with the skill set Holland brings to the table. When he has been healthy, he usually is a solid backend rotation piece that offers decent K numbers.
I think today’s game should serve as a good barometer on how Holland may perform down the stretch. With a shoulder injury, Holland has to show that his stuff remains competitive because of the constant strain on the shoulder muscles.
He stated that his velocity is there, which is a good sign, but it is still worth monitoring because needs to keep solid velocity so that his off speed offerings can still be effective by playing off his fastball.
I would advise owners who are search for pitching to take the a chance on Derek Holland, as he is one of the few free agent pitchers that have some fantasy clout and track record. After his start against the Mariners today, he does draw the Blue Jays for his next start, so a possible add and stash should be in order until he gets a more favorable matchup.
I would feel confident in slotting Holland into the 4 or 5 slot in my rotation down the stretch. I would be cautions of some early turbulence as he gets back into a groove, so be cognizant of some rough matchups like the Blue Jays, but do not fret about starting him after that.