The three-time All-Star Greg Holland will be the Arizona Diamondbacks’ closer, manager Torey Lovullo said on Sunday.
The setup men places in front of Holland are to be taken by right-handers Archie Bradley and Yoshihisa Hirano. Holland, 33, signed a one-year deal with Arizona this offseason after spending the 2018 season with the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals, going 2-2 with a 4.66 ERA and 3 saves in 56 appearances.
How do you say “closer” in Dutch? #RattleOn pic.twitter.com/vOTDTum1ZD
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 24, 2019
After failing to land a long-term contract, he signed up with the Cardinals in late March and was released in August after posting a 7.92 ERA over 25 innings. He was picked up by Washington to finish the season where he salvaged his 2018 and regrouped with a 0.84 ERA in 21 1/3 innings.
Before the NL wild-card game where Holland surrendered two runs, he saved a National league-tying 41 games for the Colorado Rockies and bolstered the bullpen with 28 saves in 29 chances (1.62 ERA) before the All-Star break. Holland underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2015 missing 2016 season.
The 2019 season is opened by the Diamondbacks against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on the 28th of March. Would Holland bring them a change for the good? It’s yet to be seen.