Clay Holmes dressed as Santa Clause on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field, being joined by his wife, Ashlyn, and a group of right-handed elves, fellow starting pitchers Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong. The Mets might have lost three fan favorites over the last month, but when the foursome got together to pass out gifts to elementary school kids from around Queens, it was less about who isn’t on the team anymore and more about those who are.
“They’re great players, they’ve been great Mets for a long time and really connected with the fanbase,” Holmes said of the departures of Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz. “As players, even in the clubhouse, they’re great people, so it’s always tough to see those guys go and we wish them the best. But at the same time, it’s like, those aren’t easy decisions. I’m sure.
“I don’t really know all the details behind the scenes, but to make those big decisions I’m sure there’s got to be some type of, some growth to be had and sometimes that can be a little uncomfortable.”
Growth and change is necessary for the Mets after a failure of a season and an inconsistent five-season run since owner Steve Cohen took over for the Wilpon family. It’s impossible to replicate what Nimmo did in the clubhouse, what Alonso did in the lineup and what Diaz did in the bullpen. The Mets have brought in two closers to replace Diaz, with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver coming over from the Yankees. Second baseman Marcus Semien should help the infield defense.
It’s still unclear where the offense is going to come from, and the club has yet to acquire the frontline starter they’ve been seeking. The hot stove has been extra hot since the end of the Winter Meetings last week, and there are still big names on the board, but the interest in many of them seems tepid at best.
“I guess you just have to trust kind of the direction they’re wanting to go,” Holmes said. “I know they wouldn’t just be doing those things for no reason, so there’s a lot of trust and kind of the plan moving forward and kind of what they have in store.”
Holmes is set to lead a rotation that could include all three young starters. The Mets are open to trading Tong and/or Sproat, but if they stay, they have a chance to impact the rotation next season.
It’s the one source of tremendous optimism for the fans.
“I think it’s a really cool opportunity for everyone to see us all together,” Tong said. “I really enjoy those guys.”
The annual Kids Holiday Party, part of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation’s MetsGiving initiative, used to feature Nimmo and his wife, Chelsea, but Sproat, McLean and Tong could be the new staples. The trio reveled in their elf costumes. McLean abandoned his name for the day, telling kids and reporters alike that he’s no longer Nolan — he’s an elf.
They handed out gifts and winter coats, courtesy of Operation Warmth, to young fans who will grow right alongside them.
“It kind of reminds me of when I was a little kid,” Tong said. “My dad used to have office parties like this all the time growing up. Just seeing how these kind of events can really impact kids, it’s everything for us.”
