Derek Holland’s sudden resurgence was one of the few bright spots of the 2018 season. Holland had signed a minor-league contract after an abysmal three-year stretch in which he posted a 5.50 ERA, but he rebounded quite well. He managed a career-best strikeout rate and kept his ERA at 3.57. Overall, it was his best season since 2018. It was impressive enough that the new front office, who had no emotional connection to Holland on the 2018 team, rewarded Holland with the largest contract the Giants would sign this offseason.
So far, that hasn’t panned out.