David Holmberg, LHP
2017 Season: 37 Appearances, 7 Starts, 2-4, 4.68 ERA, 57.2 IP
David Holmberg was called up by the White Sox in May and stuck with the team until the end of the season. The 25-year-old posted a 4.68 ERA in 37 appearances, seven of which were starts. Prior to that, he hadn’t appeared in the majors since 2015. He was a second round pick back in 2009 for the White Sox.
Holmberg faired quite well during his first two months. He primarily pitched out of the bullpen but he did make a few spot starts. For the months of May and June he had a 2.84 ERA. But the wheels fell off and he had a 7.27 ERA for the month of July. However, that only raised his ERA to 3.66. He did bounce back with another great month in August.
He only allowed one run the entire month but it was over four innings of work. September did him in and was his worse month of the season. He allowed 10 runs in seven innings of work, which is why his ERA was over 4.50.
Holmberg showed he could be an effective relief pitcher and should be able to find work elsewhere. Again, he elected free agency. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the White Sox bring him back on a minor-league deal. They need depth in their bullpen and he showed for part of the season that he could be effective. He would also be a cost-effective option for Rick Hahn.