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The New York Mets and ex-New York Yankees nearer Clay Holmes have agreed to a three-year, $38 million contract pending a bodily, per Joel Sherman of the New York Submit.
The Mets will attempt to use Holmes as a beginning pitcher, in response to Sherman. If that plan falls by means of, then he’ll turn into the setup man for nearer Edwin Díaz.
Holmes, who’s coming into his age-32 season, went 3-5 with a 3.14 ERA (1.30 WHIP) and 30 saves in 67 video games final 12 months. Nevertheless, Holmes additionally blew 13 saves and misplaced his nearer job to Luke Weaver.
The Pittsburgh Pirates chosen Holmes out of Slocomb (Alabama) Excessive College with a ninth-round decide within the 2011 MLB draft. Holmes was a starter within the minors for almost his total tenure within the farm system, going 42-29 with a 3.63 ERA (1.39 WHIP) and seven.3 Ok/9 fee over 134 video games (114 begins).
Holmes has solely began 4 video games within the majors, all in his 2018 rookie season. He posted a 7.80 ERA in these matchups.
It did not work out for Holmes in Pittsburgh, who traded the right-hander to the Yankees in July 2021. However he is been lights-out at occasions within the Bronx.
Ryan Garcia @RyanGarciaESM
Clay Holmes was an excellent commerce for the Yankees. An elite one. Two non massive leaguers for 3.5 years of fantastic bullpen manufacturing.
Over 220 appearances from 2021-2024, Holmes had a 2.20 ERA (1.12 WHIP) and 9.8 Ok/9 fee. He was particularly spectacular within the playoffs with a 1.35 ERA over 19 video games.
YankeeWrld @YankeeWRLD
Clay Holmes in his total tenure as a New York Yankee:
217.2 IP (tenth in MLB on this span)
2.69 ERA (twelfth)
2.74 FIP (sixth)
0.41 HR/9 (third)
67.8 GB% (1st)One of the vital overhated Yankees in latest reminiscence. Thanks Clay Holmes pic.twitter.com/O2BsMI4N9j
Holmes definitely had his struggles in high-leverage conditions, to the purpose the place he misplaced his nearer job. However he wildly exceeded expectations after the July 2021 deal and parlayed it right into a profitable contract.
Nevertheless, there is a huge query mark about whether or not the Mets can flip him right into a starter, the place he hasn’t discovered success within the massive leagues.
New York, in fact, was in a position to patch collectively rotation final season after signing Sean Manaea and Luis Severino on one-year offers. These two led a workers that discovered itself within the NLCS.
It seems the Mets is perhaps doing the identical in 2025, signing pitchers on lower-cost contracts and hoping for large returns. They’ve already signed Frankie Montas (4.84 ERA in 30 begins in 2024) to a two-year, $34 million deal and the now-starter Holmes as properly.
We’ll see if the experiment works out, however the Mets do have an eighth-inning fallback plan with Holmes in case it would not.
