13-Year Veteran Pitcher Wants Back In To MLB; Throws For Teams

He had a few moderately successful years as a starting pitcher earlier in his career, but in recent years, as a reliever, had not shown much ability to get major league hitters out anymore. Nevertheless, 13-year veteran lefty Derek Holland wants back into the majors, and held a throwing session for MLB scouts on Friday in Texas. 

And if you ask Holland, his throwing session, which was coupled with a similar workout for fellow pitchers Cole Hamels and Kyle Crick, went just fine, thanks.

We both threw very well

— Derek Holland (@Dutch_Oven45) January 27, 2023

Holland, 36, last pitched in the bigs in 2021. Since moving more or less full-time to the bullpen in 2019, he compiled an ERA of over 6.00, in a significant amount of innings (over 170). 

He spent last season in Triple-A in both the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays systems, and put up a similarly ugly 5.77 ERA in 39 innings. 

But Holland isn't ready to hang 'em up yet. He's pitched for six different teams in his 13-year career, with a lifetime ERA of 4.62 and a WHIP of 1.38.  His greatest success came in his first eight seasons in the majors, with the Texas Rangers, where he went 62-50 with a 4.35 ERA. In 2011 he led the American League in shutouts with four, going 16-5 and being a big part of the Rangers' run to a World Series appearance.

Photo: Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK