White Sox release veteran pitcher Derek Holland

With the White Sox in rebuild mode this season, Derek Holland had value in the clubhouse.

“One of the things we discussed was how he impacted us as a good teammate,” manager Rick Renteria said. “A gentleman, a nice man to have around. He knew the game and impacted the other guys well, but it got to the point where he wasn't going to get the opportunities.”

Holland had little or no value on the mound for the Sox since June 1, going 3-10 with a 9.32 ERA. Moved to the bullpen after another rough start at Minnesota at Minnesota last week, Holland was released by the White Sox on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old pitcher agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with the Sox in December.

“He was grateful for the opportunity and he was happy he got through the season healthy, but he was disappointed he couldn't do more,” Renteria said. “He wanted to come in and do better but with the guys we brought up they're going to be the ones taking up those innings.”

Two of the Sox's top pitching prospects — Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez — are already in the starting rotation.

Holland made his first relief appearance of the season on Sunday, and the left-hander allowed 1 run on 1 hit and 1 walk in two-thirds of an inning.

“It's tough,” Renteria said. “You want them to have success, to be who they have always been. It had been a struggle the last few outings. We hoped we could get some usage in the bullpen, it just wasn't showing what we needed. We wish him well.”

Like Renteria, veteran White Sox starter James Shields raved about Holland's clubhouse presence.

“Derek was a great teammate,” Shields said. “ All of the guys liked him around here. He went out there every five days and pitched with his heart. The guy cared about baseball and is a tremendous human. It's always tough to lose a guy like that.”