New Pirates reliever Colin Holderman ready for bigger role after being traded by Mets

Colin Holderman had his uniform on and was getting ready for a game against the San Diego Padres on July 22 when he was called into the office by New York Mets management.

“Honestly, I thought I was getting optioned, and I ended up getting traded,” Holderman said of being dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates for designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach. “I’ll take it.”

Excited to share the news about joining the Pirates, Holderman called his wife to share the news. There was no answer.

“It was a whirlwind,” Holderman said. “My wife chose the wrong time to take a nap. I called her after that, and it took a while, but our lives got thrown around real quick. It took a little bit, a few minutes. It was not the news she expected when she woke up, but she’s excited.”

So is the 6-foot-7, 240-pound right-handed reliever, who was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday after the Pirates traded veteran righty reliever Chris Stratton to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal that included lefty starter Jose Quintana.

Pirates righty reliever Colin Holderman, acquired from the Mets for DH Daniel Vogelbach, tells how he found out about the trade. pic.twitter.com/b9mUGsgnJP

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) August 2, 2022

The 26-year-old sinkerballer was 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 17⅔ innings over 15 appearances with 18 strikeouts and seven walks without a home run. He has stranded all eight of his inherited runners and has held opponents to a .188 batting average with runners on base (6 for 32).

After serving as a starter early in his career, Holderman welcomed his move to the bullpen. Holderman credited Mets relievers Seth Lugo and Adam Ottavino for teaching him how to make the transition.

“It was easy for me, because I got real nervous before starts. It was tough getting a night’s sleep before,” Holderman said. “I like getting called and letting adrenaline take hold of everything, but I think my mentality’s built more for the bullpen. I’m going to give it all I have. It’s hard to do that as a starter. You’ve got to pick when you’re going to use certain pitches, save some stuff for the third time around. The transition’s been a little easier for me just because of the stuff I’ve been doing in the past.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said there is a possibility Holderman could be used in a high-leverage role with the Pirates, though his usage likely will start based on matchups. Right-handed hitters are batting .167 against Holderman, with lefties hitting .217.

“He has pitched in those innings,” Shelton said. “He’s pitched in the seventh and eighth prior to coming over here, so I think we’ll do it on matchup.”

Holderman is hoping to fill Stratton’s late-inning role, though he knows it’s a position that has to be earned. The Pirates optioned Holderman to Triple-A Indianapolis until they could clear a roster spot for him, so he’s eager to prove what he can do once he gets an opportunity after being stuck behind two-time All-Star closer Edwin Diaz with the Mets.

“That definitely excites me,” Holderman said. “I’m going to have to earn that. It was tough to earn that role in New York with Edwin Diaz doing what he’s doing. He’s special and definitely one of the best guys in the league, and getting over here, they talked about getting the chance to have a bigger role. Hopefully I earn that and I thrive in that role.”