Holliday signed a seven-year, $120 million deal in 2010 with the Cardinals. However, the team reportedly declined to pick up his option for next season which would have paid him $17 million. Rather than pay Holliday $17 million, the Cardinals chose a $1 million buyout.
With the Cardinals out of the picture, it sets up a scenario where Holliday could return to the Rockies at first base. I talked about the options for Colorado’s first base position, including Holliday, in this article. Additionally, I spoke with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding about the scenario in this podcast.