Former New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes is reportedly on his way to Queens.
, pending a physical. Holmes thus switches boroughs after four seasons in the Bronx, and may be switching roles: he is expected to be used as a starting pitcher, as the Mets look to shore up a rotation that had three pitchers enter free agency this offseason.
If things don't work out for Holmes as a starter, however, he would be used as a setup man for closer Edwin Diaz. In that case, the righty would bring stability to a Queens bullpen that finished in the middle of the National League pack with a 4.03 earned run average last year. The Mets’ plan is to try Holmes as a starting pitcher with the fallback being as a set-up man for Edwin Diaz.Holmes came to the Yankees in 2021 via a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He endured a roller-coaster tenure in pinstripes as he mustered two All-Star Game appearances but nearly-endless bouts of frustration among the Bronx faithful: since 2022, Holmes has posted 74 saves, good for ninth in Major League Baseball, but he never held a lasting lock on the Yankee closer role.
Last season was particularly perplexing, as Holmes went nearly two full months without giving up an earned run to start the year, but the bottom fell out when he did so in his 21st showing. Holmes wound up charged with 13 blown saves by the year's end to not only lead the majors but to be the only pitcher to post at least 10.
He was removed from the closer's role and made 13 appearances in the Yankees' run to the World Series. Things notably calmed down for Holmes from there on out, as he posted a 2.25 postseason ERA to go with a 3-1 mark, including the Yankees' lone win in the five-game Fall Classic against Los Angeles.Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network.
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