Cubs acquire Derek Holland from Giants for lefty bullpen option

MILWAUKEE – Derek Holland was acquired by the Cubs on Friday from the San Francisco Giants for a player to be named, giving the Cubs a new left-handed option out of the bullpen.

As part of the trade, San Francisco agreed to send Chicago $1,846,505 to cover all but $425,000 of the $2,271,505 remaining in Holland’s $6.5 million salary this year. San Francisco also agreed to a conditional $500,000 payment if the Cubs decline Holland’s $6.5 million option for 2020 and pay him a $500,000 buyout.

The 32-year-old is 2-4 with a 5.90 ERA in seven starts and 24 relief appearances this year. He started the season in the rotation and was 1-4 with a 23.63 ERA when he was moved to the bullpen in mid-May. He has a 5.03 ERA as a reliever this season but has held left-handers to a .182 batting average with one extra-base hit in 89 plate appearances this year.

“His numbers are pretty spectacular left-on-left right now,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “We’re getting him in, and I’ll get an opportunity to speak with him, then we’ll put him right out there.”

Aptly, Holland has a boxer named Wrigley. He blamed a collision with the dog on a staircase in his home for a knee injury that caused him to miss the start of the 2014 season.

Holland had a 0.68 ERA over 10 appearances from late June before allowing four runs against the New York Mets on July 20. He was designated for assignment the next day.

Holland began the season in the rotation as the No. 2 starter.

In May, the left-hander publicly criticized the Giants after he was moved to the bullpen. San Francisco is winning again and has a deep bullpen for manager Bruce Bochy.

Holland said the front office had him fake an injury when he spent a stint on the injured list with bone bruise on his left index finger.

“To be honest, I have no idea what they’re doing,” Holland said. “I don’t mean that by Boch and them, it’s more from the front office. We keep changing a lot of things. I did a fake injury, so I’m not happy about that. But at the end of the day, I’m going to do whatever they ask me to do.”

Holland is 78-77 with a 4.51 ERA in 221 starts and 54 relief appearances for Texas (2009-16), the Chicago White Sox (2017) and San Francisco (2018-19).

Chicago designated lefty Tim Collins for assignment to open a roster spot. Collins had a 3.12 ERA in nine relief appearances for the Cubs this year.