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MLB Rumors: Derek Holland has signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, per reports, with the free agent lefthanded pitcher agreeing to a minor league deal with the Bucs.
Holland, 33, was a sometimes popular, sometimes polarizing presence on the great Texas Rangers teams of the early teens, but his career got de-railed after he missed most of the 2014 season due to microfracture surgery on his knee. After disappointing, injury-plagued campaigns in 2015 and 2016, the Rangers declined their team option on him, and Holland joined the Chicago White Sox for 2017, where he put up a 6.20 ERA in 135 IP.
Holland had a bounceback year in 2018, putting up a 3.57 ERA in 30 starts and 6 relief appearances for the San Francisco Giants, and earning a $6.5 million deal for 2019 to return to San Fran. He strugled, though, and ended up getting released. Holland then went to the Chicago Cubs, where he continued to have issues, and ended the year with a 6.08 ERA in 84.1 IP over 51 appearances.
Pittsburgh is bad and rebuilding, so Holland will have an opportunity to carve out a role for himself in 2020 if he shows anything in spring training, since they will need arms to give them innings.