There has been a good amount of talk regarding Derek Holland as he's returned from the DL for the Rangers. Some were expecting him to return to his 2013 form and be a stable member of a 12 teamer staff, while others - myself included - see him more like waiver wire fodder. Now it'll be tougher to defend that position after he went 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 11 Ks against the Orioles, but I still stand by my previous assessment. Let's for all purposes assume that Option A actually comes to fruition and Holland pitches the rest of the season like his 2013 self. Those numbers were a 3.42 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 3.68 xFIP with a 7.99 K/9 and 2.70 BB/9. That would put him hovering around the 50s with a little room for more. This is the best case scenario for a guy who has been injured often and is now two years removed from his pinnacle. Sure, this outing was super nice but his floor is still gazing at you from across the room, making sure you don't forget his 7.09 FIP entering this start. Moving forward, I see Holland as more of a decent matchup guy - a Lacky-lite if you will - instead of a guy I'm starting every time out.
Let’s see what every other SP did yesterday:
