Former Blue Jays relief pitcher officially retires from Major League Baseball
Derek Holland is moving on to the next chapter of his life.
The former starting pitcher posted a lengthy statement on social media announcing his decision and expressing gratitude for all the teams that took a chance on him.
Holland was initially drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round of the 2006 draft. He made his major league debut with the club three years later. He ultimately spent eight years with the club, mostly as a starter.
Holland bounced around after leaving Texas spending time with the White Sox and Giants. After being traded San Francisco he became a full-time reliever with a half-season with the Cubs followed by a season each in Pittsburgh and Detroit.
In 2022 he signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox only to opt out a month into the season. Three days later he signed with the Blue Jays. He couldn't find consistency and struggled to a 5.53 ERA in 20 games, six of which were starts, with Triple-A Buffalo and was released on July 22nd.
That was the last major league team he signed a contract with. A stint with the independent York Revolution followed before Holland became a volunteer coach at Dallas College North Lake in 2024. He even acted as bullpen coach for the 2024 All-Star Futures Game.
While he hasn't appeared in a major league game since 2021, he did not officially retire until today.
Holland shouldn't be out of baseball for long though. He has already shown a knack for coaching, and could one day be a major league pitching coach.
Congrats on a great career Derek!
