After being removed as the Yankees’ closer in 2024, could Clay Holmes leave the bullpen altogether next season?
A source confirmed to the Daily News that some teams have expressed interest in Holmes, a free agent, as a starter. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman first reported the curiosity, adding that the Mets are among the intrigued parties.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel both know Holmes from their time with the Yankees. The Queens club needs rotation help, even after agreeing to a deal with another ex-Yankee, Frankie Montas.
The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, added that Holmes is considering all roles and is in listening mode for now. The right-hander has not started a game since his rookie season with the Pirates in 2018 after coming up as a starter in the minors.
Holmes, 31, became a success story with the Yankees after they acquired him from Pittsburgh midway through the 2021 season. An unheralded pickup, he went on to record a 2.69 ERA and 74 saves over 220 games while making two All-Star teams with the Bombers.
One of those All-Star selections came last season, but Holmes had a bumpy year. While he saved 30 games and posted a 3.14 ERA, he also tied the Yankees’ franchise record with 13 blown saves and was stripped of the closer’s role in early September.
Luke Weaver thrived in the job as Holmes’ replacement. Holmes then allowed three earned runs over 12 postseason innings, good for a 2.25 ERA. He pitched in all five of the Yankees’ World Series games without permitting an earned run.
Holmes has a 1.35 ERA in 19 career playoff games.
While it may be surprising to see Holmes getting interest as a starter, others have had recent success making the transition. Such pitchers include Kansas City’s Seth Lugo — who just finished second in American League Cy Young voting — former Yankee and current Padre Michael King, and Atlanta’s Reynaldo López.
Sherman added that Jeff Hoffman, another free agent reliever, is also getting interest as a starter.
A groundball specialist, Holmes has four pitches: an elite sinker, a traditional slider, a sweeper and four-seam fastball. That expanded arsenal would help Holmes in a starting role, though he rarely threw the four-seamer in 2024, only turning to it 0.2% of the time.
Holmes has also been durable out of the bullpen, appearing in more than 60 games in each of the last four seasons. However, he’s never thrown more than 70 innings in a season before.
Of course, Holmes wouldn’t have to stay in a starting role if his workload proved to be too much or if the experiment yielded poor results. While he struggled at times in 2024, he’s shown that he can be a reliable, high-leverage reliever for a contending team and could easily return to such responsibilities.
