| The Detroit News
Kansas City, Mo. — Free agent reliever Greg Holland stayed with the Kansas City Royals on Monday, signing a one-year contact for $2.75 million.
The 35-year-old Holland was 3-0 with six saves and a 1.91 ERA this season for Kansas City. He made 28 appearances, pitching 28⅓ innings.
The right-hander didn’t permit a run in his final 13 games, covering 13⅓ innings.
Holland is a three-time All-Star who made his major league debut with the Royals in 2010 and spent his first six seasons with them. He later pitched for Colorado, St. Louis, Washington and Arizona before rejoining the Royals in 2020.
Holland has 212 saves and a 2.90 ERA in 10 seasons.
Red Sox sign OF Renfroe
The Boston Red Sox have signed outfielder Hunter Renfroe to a one-year deal for $3.1 million.
A first-round pick by the Padres in 2013, Renfroe batted .228 with 97 home runs and 226 RBIs over five seasons with San Diego and Tampa Bay. He hit 25 or more homers in three straight seasons for the Padres before struggling with the Rays in the pandemic-shortened season this year, batting .156 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in 42 games.
Renfroe homered twice in the postseason, including a drive in the World Series, and drove in seven runs. He went 4-for-23 (.174) and struck out 11 times.
In three games at Fenway Park over his career, he is 4 for 11 with two homers runs and five RBIs.
Renfroe turns 29 next month. He can make up to $500,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances, topping at 500.
Baker ponders future
Dusty Baker isn’t sure if he’d like to manage the Houston Astros beyond the upcoming season.
“Maybe,” he said. “Depends how I feel. Depends on how the team feels about me … you never know what changes are going to come about in life.”
At 71, Baker is entering the last year of his contract with the Astros. He was hired in January to replace AJ Hinch, who was fired by the team after he and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one year by Major League Baseball for their roles in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal. Luhnow also was fired.
The Astros picked up the option on Baker’s contract for the 2021 season in June and Baker helped the team to the AL Championship Series in the pandemic-shortened season.
After going 29-31 in the regular season, the Astros came within one game of reaching the World Series.
Last season was Baker’s 23rd as a manager after starting in 1993 with the San Francisco Giants. A three-time National League Manager of the Year, Baker came to the Astros after managing the Washington Nationals, who let him go after a 97-65 season in 2017.
Baker is no longer the oldest manager in the majors after the 76-year-old Tony La Russa was hired to manage the White Sox this offseason.
Baker said he enjoyed his first year in Houston and is looking forward to the possibility of experiencing the ballpark with fans and managing the Astros under more normal circumstances this year.
“I’m hoping that I get to enjoy the Houston that I’ve come to love from the past,” he said.