Recent Yankees free agent bust joins NL contender

New York Yankees' Matt Holliday reacts after striking out during the ninth inning of the baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium, Tuesday, April 18, 2017, in New York. (Right idea, poor results.

When the Yankees signed veteran slugger Matt Holliday before the 2017 season, the move looked smart. Adding a former MVP candidate with nearly 300 career home runs to a young roster could only help.

Early on, it did. Holliday posted an .895 OPS through April of 2017. He looked rejuvenated, and was a major part of a young Yankees team trying to make a big leap into contention again. The production lasted through mid-June (.914 OPS on June 12) before the wheels came off, partially…