According to reports, the New York Mets have taken a leap of faith and signed right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes. Joel Sherman of the New York Post was first on the news. The 31-year-old is a seven-year MLB veteran. He split his career time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he was drafted in 2011, and most recently, the New York Yankees. Despite being a career reliever, the Mets are now planning to try to convert Holmes into a starter. The free-agent deal is for three years and $38 million and contains an opt-out after the second season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Right-hander Clay Holmes and the New York Mets are in agreement on a three-year, $38 million contract with an opt-out after the second year, sources tell ESPN. Mets plan to turn Holmes, who has spent his big league career as a RP, into a starter. On the news: @Joelsherman1.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2024
Mets Sign Right-Hander Clay Holmes with Plans to Make Him Starter
Clay Holmes has showcased a decent run in his career; most specifically in the past three seasons. The transition from Pittsburgh to the Bronx was largely a boost to his future in the bullpen.
Holmes developed and improved as his career progressed. In four seasons with the Pirates, he recorded a 5.57 ERA. Then, in four seasons with the Yankees, he put up a 2.69 ERA. With the Yankees, the ERA dropped drastically after moving to the closer role.
In 2022, the Yankees saw the potential in Holmes to be trusted in stressful situations. Holmes was placed in multiple save situations, and he slipped into the closer role.
He stuck right in the middle of the major league pack of closers, ranking 15th of 30 in saves. The righty saved 20 games with only five blown saves. He was selected as an All-Star that season and earned the full-time title of Yankees closer.
2023 was also a success for Holmes. He recorded 24 saves with three blown saves and a 2.86 ERA. Holmes recorded 71 strikeouts and 23 walks with a 4-4 record.
A Rough Season
The 2024 season, however, was where things took a downturn with Holmes. To be sure, the right-hander was an All-Star and put up some promising numbers, saving 30 games His 3.14 ERA, though reflected another detrimental number; 13 blown saves.
This led the majors, topping all closers for blown saves in 2024. Each blown save and/or disastrous ninth inning was a spectacle for the Yankees where trust was lost. Holmes was eventually replaced in the closer role with Luke Weaver.
Holmes was put into a short relief spot in the postseason, where he largely got the job done. The Mets will now see if they can remake Holmes as a starter, a daring experiment given the years and salary on his deal.
Photo Credit: © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
