After being eliminated because the Yankees’ nearer in 2024, might Clay Holmes depart the bullpen altogether subsequent season?
A supply confirmed to the Day by day Information that some groups have expressed curiosity in Holmes, a free agent, as a starter. The New York Publish’s Joel Sherman first reported the curiosity, including that the Mets are among the many intrigued events.
Mets supervisor Carlos Mendoza and assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel each know Holmes from their time with the Yankees. The Queens membership wants rotation assist, even after agreeing to a take care of one other ex-Yankee, Frankie Montas.
The supply, talking on the situation of anonymity, added that Holmes is contemplating all roles and is in listening mode for now. The fitting-hander has not began a sport since his rookie season with the Pirates in 2018 after developing as a starter within the minors.
Holmes, 31, grew to become successful story with the Yankees after they acquired him from Pittsburgh halfway by means of the 2021 season. An unheralded pickup, he went on to report a 2.69 ERA and 74 saves over 220 video games whereas making two All-Star groups with the Bombers.
A kind of All-Star choices got here final season, however Holmes had a bumpy 12 months. Whereas he saved 30 video games and posted a 3.14 ERA, he additionally tied the Yankees’ franchise report with 13 blown saves and was stripped of the nearer’s function in early September.
Luke Weaver thrived within the job as Holmes’ substitute. Holmes then allowed three earned runs over 12 postseason innings, good for a 2.25 ERA. He pitched in all 5 of the Yankees’ World Collection video games with out allowing an earned run.
Holmes has a 1.35 ERA in 19 profession playoff video games.
Whereas it might be stunning to see Holmes getting curiosity as a starter, others have had current success making the transition. Such pitchers embrace Kansas Metropolis’s Seth Lugo — who simply completed second in American League Cy Younger voting — former Yankee and present Padre Michael King, and Atlanta’s Reynaldo López.
Sherman added that Jeff Hoffman, one other free agent reliever, can also be getting curiosity as a starter.
A groundball specialist, Holmes has 4 pitches: an elite sinker, a standard slider, a sweeper and four-seam fastball. That expanded arsenal would assist Holmes in a beginning function, although he hardly ever threw the four-seamer in 2024, solely turning to it 0.2% of the time.
Holmes has additionally been sturdy out of the bullpen, showing in additional than 60 video games in every of the final 4 seasons. Nonetheless, he’s by no means thrown greater than 70 innings in a season earlier than.
After all, Holmes wouldn’t have to remain in a beginning function if his workload proved to be an excessive amount of or if the experiment yielded poor outcomes. Whereas he struggled at instances in 2024, he’s proven that he generally is a dependable, high-leverage reliever for a contending crew and will simply return to such duties.
