Recent Yankees free agent bust joins NL contender

Ironically, the Yankees could use this kind of bat right now.

Right idea, poor results.

When the Yankees signed veteran slugger Matt Holliday before the 2017 season, the move looked smart. Adding a former MVP candidate with nearly 300 career home runs to a young roster could only help.

Early on, it did. Holliday posted an .895 OPS through April of 2017. He looked rejuvenated, and was a major part of a young Yankees team trying to make a big leap into contention again. The production lasted through mid-June (.914 OPS on June 12) before the wheels came off, partially due to an illness that lingered.

From June 13 through the end of the season, Holliday played in only 43 games and hit just .173. The right-handed hitter went from All-Star candidate to unplayable.

Now, as the 2018 Yankees could use another bat, Holliday is back.

After sitting out the start of the season (likely with a lack of interest from teams wary of his age (38) and poor production last season), Holliday signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies earlier this summer.

OFFICIAL: The Colorado Rockies have selected the contract of OF Matt Holliday.

Holliday will wear No. 7. pic.twitter.com/zpbgKxgMvR

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 23, 2018

On Thursday, the NL West and Wild Card contenders called Holliday up to rejoin the franchise he became a star with last decade. In his first game in the majors since last season, Holliday went 0-for-3 in a Rockies victory.

Holliday owns an .889 career OPS and 314 career home runs. 

Joe Giglio may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.