The New York Mets are set to take an innovative approach to address one of the openings in their starting pitching rotation by signing right-handed reliever Clay Holmes. According to various reports, the agreement is for three years and totals $38 million, pending a physical exam, as noted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Holmes, who has primarily been a closer for the New York Yankees over the past three seasons, will be stepping into a starting role for the first time since his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman was the first to break the news of this agreement.
At 31 years old, Holmes has been a pivotal player in the Yankees’ bullpen since joining the team from the Pirates in 2021. He established himself as the closer in the 2022 season, achieving a career-high of 30 saves in 2024, despite losing his closer role to Luke Weaver towards the season’s conclusion. Over the last three years, he has accumulated 74 saves with an impressive 2.89 ERA across 189⅔ innings, earning All-Star selections in both 2022 and 2024.
Drafted by the Pirates in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB Draft, Holmes spent six seasons in their system primarily as a starting pitcher, reaching a peak of 136⅓ innings in 2016. Throughout his career, he has made only four major-league starts, all during his debut season in 2018. Since then, he has honed his pitching skills, reducing his pitch arsenal from six to three, with a strong focus on his effective sinker, which recorded an average speed of 96.6 mph in 2024.
Despite a challenging period during which he struggled as a closer—blowing 10 saves between June 13 and September 18—Holmes has shown resilience and capability. His ground-ball rate stood at an impressive 64.6% last season, ranking second in Major League Baseball among pitchers with at least 250 plate appearances.
As he transitions into a starting role, Holmes will join a rotation led by Kodai Senga and David Peterson, with expectations that new signing Frankie Montas can also regain his previous form. This strategic shift mirrors the successful transition of former Met Seth Lugo, who moved from a starter to a reliever and returned to starting in 2023, where he found considerable success.
With this unconventional move, the Mets are embracing change and creating opportunities that could lead to exciting results. Baseball fans will be eager to see how Holmes adapts to his new role and whether he can replicate the success he’s experienced in the bullpen as a starting pitcher.
This move demonstrates the Mets’ determination to explore all avenues for improvement and their commitment to building a strong and competitive team for the upcoming seasons.