Giants bring back versatile lefty Holland

SAN FRANCISCO — Derek Holland wanted to return to the Giants. He just had to wait a little longer than he anticipated.

Holland, 32, agreed to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2020 season Monday to rejoin the Giants, the team announced.

The Giants will pay Holland a base salary of $6.5 million in 2019 with a $6.5 million club option or $500,000 buyout for the 2020 season, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. San Francisco has also added incentives to Holland’s contract based on the number of starts he makes next year.

After struggling through one of the worst seasons of his career in 2017 with the White Sox, Holland signed a minor league deal with San Francisco last offseason and won a roster spot during spring training. The veteran lefthander wound up leading the Giants in innings and posted a 3.57 ERA while emerging as the most consistent member of the team’s rotation.

Though Holland battled injuries and command issues during the prime seasons of his career, a partnership with Giants pitching coach Curt Young helped Holland get his career back on track in San Francisco. Young helped move Holland from the third base side of the rubber to the first base side, a transition that helped Holland become more effective as he finished the 2018 season with a 3.20 ERA over his final 31 games.