Rangers Sign Holland to 5-Year Contract

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The Texas Rangers announced this morning that left-handed pitcher Derek Holland has signed a five-year contract extension through 2016 with club options for 2017 and 2018. Financial terms were not disclosed, per club policy.

Holland, 25, established career highs in 2011 in wins (16), starts (32), innings (198.0), and strikeouts (162). His 16 wins last year were the most in Washington/Texas franchise history by any player under the age of 25. Holland finished the 2011 regular season by winning 10 of his last 11 decisions, and then went 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA (9 ER/24.0 IP) in 6 games/4 starts in the postseason. He had 4 complete game shutouts last season, tied for most in the American League, and the highest single-season shutout total by a Ranger since Doc Medich had 4 blankings in 1981.

In Game 4 of the World Series last year at Rangers Ballpark, Holland recorded the victory over St. Louis by allowing just 2 hits over 8.1 shutout innings, becoming the third-youngest starter in history with at least 8.0 scoreless innings on 2-hits-or-less in the Fall Classic.

Holland went 16-5 last year, a .762 winning percentage that ranked fifth in the majors and a figure that stands as the fourth-best in Texas history (minimum 10 decisions). The 16 wins tied C.J. Wilson for most among Rangers in 2011.

Selected by Texas in the 25th round of the 2006 June draft, Holland was signed in May 2007 and became the organization’s 2008 Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year.