clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Royals will non-tender Greg Holland

Holland is expected to be sidelined for the entire 2016 season.

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Greg Holland is not expected to pitch in 2016 and as a result might not receive a new deal from the Royals. Holland is coming off of Tommy John surgery, and according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Royals will not tender a deal to the veteran reliever.

Holland underwent surgery in September, however the Heyman adds the Royals are not opposed to signing Holland to a two-year deal. The club did exactly that with Kris Medlen.

Before he went down, many questioned whether the Royals would be able to keep Holland. However, he ultimately suffered a UCL tear and as a result the question was no longer pertinent, with Holland expected to miss the entire 2016 campaign.

Holland, 29, decided to pitch through elbow discomfort before being evaluated by a doctor. He struggled throughout September, saw his fastball velocity drop significantly and as a result was forced to see a doctor.

When healthy, Holland has had a notable amount of success with the Royals. Over 44.2 innings before going down, Holland pitched to a 3.83 ERA and 3.27 FIP. He has also saved at least 30 games in each of the last three seasons.

Kansas City can still try and work out a new deal with Holland, but moving forward it could be a challenge. Holland recently hired Scott Boras, who encourages his clients to test the free agent market before making a decision.