New 12 months, new Clay Holmes.
The Mets’ latest pitching acquisition is already present process a metamorphosis of types along with his new crew. Tuesday afternoon on a Zoom name, the right-hander was sporting a beard, one thing forbidden whereas enjoying for the Yankees, and a t-shirt from the model In the meantime Again in Queens, a neighborhood firm that sells clothes, equipment and different objects to have fun the borough of Queens.
However the actual transformation for the Alabama native will start subsequent season when he’ll begin within the rotation for the primary time since he was within the minor leagues. Holmes signed a three-year, $38 million contract with the Mets as a starter, not a reliever.
“It’s something that I’ve always kind of had in the back of my mind, I would say, throughout my career,” Holmes stated in his introductory name. “There was a little bit of interest way back when, like in 2020, to go overseas as a starter and that somewhat excited me. So I think it’s something that’s always been there for me.”
The 31-year-old Holmes was drafted within the first spherical as a starter out of highschool and spent the primary six seasons of his skilled profession as a starter within the Pittsburgh Pirates system. He made 4 begins as a rookie in 2018 earlier than the Bucs moved him to the bullpen in a transfer that modified the trajectory of his profession.
Within the Bronx, he deserted his curveball and four-seam fastball and went heavy on the ground-ball pitches. His 96 MPH sinker and his slider grew to become his bread-and-butter pitches, and he later added a sweeper.
In 2022, he grew to become the nearer, a job he misplaced in 2024 when volatility on the mound led to a demotion.
Nonetheless, his underlying numbers had been adequate to garner loads of consideration when he grew to become a free agent in November. Holmes advised his agent, BB Abbott, that he was serious about beginning once more. Whereas the Yankees, Blue Jays and different groups had been clear about seeing him solely as a reliever, sufficient groups confirmed curiosity in his capability to make the conversion that he determined to pursue a beginning spot someplace.
“At the end of the day, this opportunity is here and I didn’t want to look back at the end of my career and say, ‘What could have come from that?’” Holmes stated. “I think it’s something that deep down I had a passion for and it excited me.”
As a way to maintain his really feel for different pitches, Holmes nonetheless threw his changeup and four-seamer in bullpen periods with the Yankees final yr. Including these again into his pitch combine would give him 5 to work with. The Mets have alluded to the opportunity of having him add one other pitch as nicely.
“I do think I have the depth of the arsenal to be a little more unpredictable than just, you know, relying on my sinker all of the time,” Holmes stated. “I think starting gives me the best opportunity to do that and expose it.”
Holmes is understanding with starters this winter to get an thought of their workload and their preparation. A kind of starters is newly-acquired Purple Sox right-hander Garrett Crochet, who additionally made the leap from the bullpen to the rotation final season. He plans to get to Port St. Lucie early to work out with Mets pitching coaches Jeremy Hefner and Desi Druschel, the latter of which he labored with within the Bronx.
Beginning pitching is at a premium this winter and it’s not going to get any simpler or cheaper to amass it within the subsequent few years. If the transition can work for pitchers like Crochet, Michael King and former Mets reliever Seth Lugo, then it’s value attempting with somebody like Holmes, who has already finished it prior to now.
“I think in this day and age with relievers who continue to refine what they do, and frankly, with the pitch design resources that all these guys have in front of them, I think there are a number of relievers that have considered converting,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns stated final week on the winter conferences. “Especially those who had started previously in their careers.”
The Mets imagine he’ll profit from various issues in Queens, together with Druschel and shortstop Francisco Lindor. The Yankees don’t prioritize protection the identical method the Mets do. With Holmes changing greater than 60% of his outs on the bottom, he can breathe straightforward with the double-play tandem of Lindor and Jeff McNeil behind him.
“Francisco is special out there,” Holmes stated.
If it doesn’t work out, the Mets have one other setup man. However Holmes is keen to guess that it does work out.
“I want to throw 160 innings,” Holmes stated. “I want to throw as many innings as I can.”
