St. Louis Cardinals: Matt Holliday makes return to baseball

Former St. Louis Cardinals star Matt Holliday makes his return to baseball. Could he really make a difference with his original team?

Matt Holliday was a vital part to the St. Louis Cardinals success in the last decade. With four All-Star appearances in his tenure with the Cardinals, he has shown that he is one of the top hitters in the game back when he was in his prime.

Back in 2009, the Oakland Athletics traded Matt Holliday to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for a package of prospects, including Brett Wallace. He was already deemed as one of the best hitters in the game. He won three Silver Slugger awards during his tenure with the Colorado Rockies. He would make a big impact with the Cardinals and even contribute to a World Series title.

Holliday was very solid during his tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals, slashing .293/.380/.494 with 156 dingers over eight seasons. He was named to the NL All-Star team four times and even won the Silver Slugger with the Cardinals in 2010.  In 2016, Holliday left St. Louis and signed a 1-year deal with the New York Yankees.

In his lone season with the New York Yankees, Holliday was mediocre, hitting for .231 to go with 19 home runs and driving in 64 as a designated hitter in an injury-plagued campaign. The Yanks did not bring him back. They acquired 2017 NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton to serve as the DH for them, leaving no room for Matt Holliday.

The 38-year-old did not find a team to sign with during free agency. He looked to make a return to baseball, and his original team, the Colorado Rockies, signed him to a minor league deal on Sunday morning.

His best years were with the Rockies, with four All-Star appearances and three Silver Sluggers when he was with them. He even finished second in the NL MVP race in 2007, behind Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rockies are currently 56-47 and are only a half game behind the 2nd Wild Card spot, and two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lead the NL West currently. Holliday could potentially play a bench role in the Majors and be a part of the Rockies playoff push.

Do you think Matt Holliday could help the Rockies get back to the playoffs? Do you wish he was back with the St. Louis Cardinals? Leave your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading!