$Signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies in July of 2018.

Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Matt Holliday

Todd Zola completes his look at players and strategies that can move the needle over the final weeks of the season and wonders if Josh Donaldson will find himself in a new uniform.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

A year after serving as the Yankees' primary designated hitter, Holliday returned to where his big-league career began. The Rockies gave him just 65 plate appearances as a September callup, though, in which he slashed .283/.415/.434. Owner of 316 career home runs with a .299/.379/.510 line, the 39-year-old aims to play in 2019, and a team inking him to a minor-league deal with a spring training invite wouldn't surprise us. An AL club would be better so he could see work at designated hitter, focus on facing lefty pitchers and mask his fielding issues at his advanced age. Maybe he'll carry fantasy value for stretches, but there are probably better players to stash with more immediate upside.

The Yankees inked Holliday to a one-year deal to serve as their primary DH, but injuries and illness limited him to just 105 games despite his light exposure to playing defense. When he put on a glove, Holliday was used as a backup option at first base, but his eight appearances in that spot aren't enough for him to qualify in many leagues, making him a UT/DH-only option if he returns for another season in 2018. It's unlikely to be with the Yankees, however, as he hit a career-low .231 thanks to a career-high 26.7 percent strikeout rate, while getting on base at a career-worst .316 clip, while narrowly missing the 20-homer plateau. At age-38, retirement seems more likely, as he's averaged just 96 games played over the last three seasons, and teams may be hesitant to employ an aging player with diminishing production against righties (.719 OPS in 2017) and defensive limitations.

Coming off a 2015 campaign where he was hindered with a quad ailment, a fractured thumb sent him to the disabled list in 2016, making it the second straight year that he missed over 40 games due to injury. However, while healthy he managed to blast 20 home runs with 62 RBI over 110 games. Unfortunately, his remaining power seemed to be the only promising sign for the seasoned veteran. He finished the year with a .246 batting average and .322 on-base percentage, both of which are career-low marks for Holliday. As a result, the Cardinals opted to decline his 2017 option. He signed a one-year $13 million deal with the Yankees in what seems to be a perfect match. Holliday could be deployed exclusively at designated hitter, which should help keep his lower body healthy and allow him to return to being a quality middle-of-the-order hitter. Think of him as Carlos Beltran at a discount.

A problematic quad injury knocked Holliday out of the lineup twice in 2015 and limited him to just 229 at-bats, marking the first time he's posted fewer than 400 at-bats in a season in his 12-year career. Holliday also saw his power numbers dip to a career low for the second consecutive season, and he posted an ISO of just .131. His quad injury likely had something to do with that, but the power was also absent his first two months of the season while he was healthy. Still, the majority of his other numbers fell within career norms and Holliday figures to be a solid contributor again in 2016. Owners should no longer expect a 20-homer, 80 RBI, and 80 runs scored floor from him, but a solid average and OBP should remain along with the occasional stolen base.

It may seem like Holliday had a down year, but at 34 years old it's hard to ask for more than the 20 home runs, 83 runs and 90 RBI he delivered in 2014. Pair that with a .272 average and a .370 OBP and Holliday was again a big time fantasy asset for owners. He eclipsed 600 plate appearances for the eighth time in his last nine seasons. While his power has been dipping as he ages, indicated by a falling ISO the last three seasons, he's still one of baseballs best and most consistent offensive producers. The Cardinals' offense should improve, at least slightly, in 2015 and Holliday could be a bargain if perceptions of a down 2014 linger into the spring. The ceiling is no longer at the level of his production from a few seasons ago, but a healthy floor of 20-90-90 carries plenty of value.

Holliday posted solid numbers yet again as a key part of the Cardinals' World Series run. His peripherals all fell within his career norms indicating that the 34-year-old slugger is still one of the game's better, and more consistent hitters. He posted one of the lowest strikeout rates (14.3%) of his career, which if repeatable means that Holliday should remain a solid offensive threat in 2014 assuming he can stay healthy. The Cardinals' lineup projects to be just as potent as last season, if not more, making Holliday one of the safer plays in most drafts, albeit one that occasionally slides down the draft board because his ceiling isn't as high as it used to be.

Holliday gritted his way through various injuries throughout the season before finally missing a key game in the NLCS with a bad back. He's still a fantasy star, reaching 100 RBI for the fifth time in his career, and hitting a solid .295, but he also struck out a career-high 132 times. He's already 33, and it's doubtful that he'll be able to play 157 games again with the amount of injuries he amassed in 2012. Pay the money to get a good consistent performer, but expect the nagging injuries to become more of an issue as he continues to age.

Holliday looked like the Holliday of old in the first half last year, slugging his way to a .324/.418/.577 slash line while Albert Pujols was surprisingly struggling. However, his pedestrian second half - fueled by one injury after another (including a bizarre moth attack) - led to a rather disappointing season, especially when considering his price tag in fantasy drafts last year. Holliday will be 32 on Opening Day, and his power may be declining a little, but there's no doubt he can hit if healthy. With a few months to rest up from his various ailments, expect him to bounce back in 2012.

Holliday was worth every penny in 2010, following up his outstanding late-2009 run with a full season that most outfielders would die for. After a shaky start to his post-Coors career, Holliday has proven that he can hit at sea level. He is 31, but he's poised for at least a few more years as one of the top outfielders in the National League. Aside from a spiraling stolen-base count after failing to reach double-digit steals for the first time in his big league career, there's minimal regression in his skill set thus far.

Holliday's years in Colorado were looking like an altitude-aided mirage until his July trade to St. Louis. Holliday hit .353/.419/.604 with his new team and led them to the playoffs. Batting behind Albert Pujols will do that for you. For a power hitter, Holliday has decent speed and an above-average batting eye, but at 30, there's a good chance he'll be much less productive at the end of the seven-year, $120 million contract he signed with the Cards to return to St. Louis in January. He can't sustain that second-half pace over the course of an entire season, but Holliday should be much better than he was with Oakland during the first half of 2009.

In many ways, Holliday's 2008 season was better than its near-MVP predecessor. While you can expect his numbers to decline in the move across leagues and from one extreme to another in terms of his home park's impact on batting average, Holliday's core skills are that of a star. With the weak AL outfield, he could be one of the most valuable fantasy players in his new circuit.

Holliday had an MVP-caliber season in 2007, hiting .340/.405/.607 with 36 home runs and 137 RBI while leading National League in batting average, RBI, hits, total bases, doubles and extra-base hits. He also threw in 11 stolen bases and has 20-steal potential if he's given the opportunity to run more. He'll be 28 at the start of 2008 so there is no reason to believe he will slow down. The batting average and RBI numbers might drop a bit but he is a top-five outfielder and should live up to that title.

Playing in a career-high 155 games, Holliday had the best season of his career and made the NL All-Star team to boot. Astute observers saw this coming when he batted .318/.374/.551 with 15 HR over the second half of 2005. With a 1.145 September OPS, Holliday finished strong again, and will be 27 this season, entering his prime. He could turn in a magical season, and even chips in double-digit stolen base totals.

Holliday started quietly in 2005 and hit the disabled list with a broken finger before coming on strong in the second half, hitting 14 of his 19 home runs. He also showed flashes of speed, stealing 14 bases in 17 attempts. Holliday will start 2006 as the Rockies left fielder and will bat cleanup behind Todd Helton.

Holliday's solid second half impressed Rockies manager Clint Hurdle. With the loss of Jeromy Burnitz, he should contribute on an everyday basis in 2005 and be a staple of NL-only leagues. He should be good for some power, but as major league pitchers make adjustments, the sophomore, who hit only .264 over two seasons in Double-A, should have trouble repeating his .290 mark of 2004.

Holliday's power hasn't come around the way the Rockies had hoped, but he's shown the ability to play a solid outfield and stay relatively healthy. He projects as a fourth or fifth outfielder in the big leagues, without enough power or speed to help your fantasy team.