When the Cubs face the Cardinals this weekend in St. Louis, it will be against a better bullpen by subtraction.*
Source: #STLCards expected to release Greg Holland today. @markasaxon wrote about this possibility earlier in the week. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 27, 2018
What a disaster year it’s been for Holland, who came back from Tommy John surgery to dominate in the first half with the Rockies in 2017, but then he slumped hard to finish the season, rejected a qualifying offer, saw his market evaporate, saw his season start late with the Cardinals, and then saw his ERA balloon to 7.92, his walk rate match his strikeout rate, and nothing go right.
So, he’s out. Not that I like to compliment the Cardinals, but at some point, there’s just no reason to keep trying something that isn’t working, especially with a guy who is a free agent at the end of the year anyway.
Per Morosi, Holland “plans to sign with a contender” after his release, which, is that realistic, given how brutally bad he’s been? I mean, I suppose yeah, he could sign a minor league deal with virtually any contender – including the Cubs – but he’ll have to work his way into any kind of big league consideration. (Cubs could pick his brain a bit, too, about the Cardinals while they have him. Just sayin’ …. )
Let’s be honest: it would be hilarious for the Cubs to sign Holland to a minor league deal, help him figure things out, and then bring him up late in the year to dominate.
As for who will replace Holland:
Dakota Hudson, @Cardinals No. 4 prospect according to @MLBPipeline, will join active roster today. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 27, 2018
Hudson, 23, is pitching to fantastic results as a starter at AAA this year, albeit with so-so peripherals. He gets a ton of groundballs, though, so he could be a perfectly usable guy for the Cardinals right now – starting or relieving – as they get him acclimated to the big leagues.
*Unless the Cardinals start unloading other players this weekend, I suppose. They’re 9.0 games out of first in the NL Central, and 4.5 games out of the Wild Card (but behind five teams).