Breaking: A notable baseball pitcher with the Rangers has reached a mutual decision to separate

Even though he hasn’t played in the majors since 2021, former Rangers star Derek Holland made his retirement from the MLB official earlier this week.

Just a kid from Newark Ohio with a dream to be a MLB pitcher. Crazy to think a kid from Newark was going to in the Major Leagues for 14 years. Thanks my lord and savior for blessing me with the ability to get where i was. Having two amazing parents of Rick and Wendy that helped… pic.twitter.com/LY0BxJzxHt

— Derek Holland (@Dutch_Oven45) January 7, 2025

Holland spent the initial six years of his career with the Rangers, playing a key role in their journey to the World Series in 2010 and 2011. During his time in Texas, he became a fan favorite thanks to his quirky personality and clutch performances, especially in postseason games. Eventually, due to a series of injuries and a dip in performance, Holland’s tenure with the Rangers came to an end when the organization opted not to exercise his team option after the 2016 season, choosing to focus on younger players instead.

Following his departure from the Rangers, Holland faced challenges in finding consistent success. He moved around the league, playing for several teams, including the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as other major and minor league clubs. His last MLB appearance was with the Detroit Tigers in 2021. After a strong performance in spring training, he secured a spot on the team’s 26-man roster but was unable to solidify a place in the starting rotation, transitioning to the bullpen for the first time in his career. Holland faced difficulties in this new role with the Tigers, ending the 2021 season with a 5.07 ERA over 49 innings, and was not re-signed after the season concluded. Following his time with the Tigers, he signed with the Boston Red Sox but was released before the 2022 season began.

Holland then joined the Toronto Blue Jays but had a tough time performing with their Triple-A team, recording an unremarkable 5.53 ERA over 27 innings before being released. After being let go by the Blue Jays, Holland could not find additional opportunities in the major leagues and played in an independent league while seeking a return to the big leagues. After three years away from MLB, Holland officially announced his retirement from the game on Tuesday evening, expressing gratitude to the Rangers fans for their ongoing support during his time with the team.

“To Ranger Nation, I can’t truly express my gratitude for the honor of wearing that uniform for you. The support you all showed us from my very first day, especially in that scorching 138,372-degree heat, means the world to me.”

Congratulations on a fantastic career, @Dutch_Oven45! pic.twitter.com/HO1MEGPzF8

— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@rangers__nation) January 8, 2025

In summary, Rangers fans will always cherish Holland as a talented and quirky young pitcher who poured his heart into helping the team achieve unprecedented success in franchise history.