Mets’ free-agent pitching signing deemed as ‘under-the-radar’ offseason move
The New York Mets made plenty of moves during the offseason. They signed the top free agent in all of baseball in Juan Soto, brought back Pete Alonso, and made several changes on the pitching front.
Clay Holmes was considered an ‘under-the-radar’ signing by the Mets
One of the signings that didn’t get as much attention was the signing of Clay Holmes. More notably, the Mets are transitioning Holmes into a full-time starter after spending most of his career as a reliever. He was the New York Yankees’ closer for most of last season and signed a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets in December.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden views the signing as an under-the-radar given the potential the deal has to be a success.
“Under-the-radar move: Signing reliever Clay Holmes and transitioning him into a starting role, with adjustments to his repertoire,” Bowden wrote.
Holmes was primarily a two-pitch pitcher with the Yankees, mostly going to his sinker and slider to put hitters away. He also specializes in getting outs through soft contact and ground balls.
Holmes will undergo big changes with the Mets
To successfully make the transition to a starter, it will require a tweak in his arsenal. He will have to tone down his fastball velocity a slight tick to remain durable on the mound, especially after being used to a reliever’s workload for most of his career. That also would mean that he needs to utilize his other pitches more, specifically going to his slider and mixing in a changeup.
The Mets are going to be relying heavily on Holmes to provide quality innings, as Frankie Montas (lat) and Sean Manaea (oblique) will miss at least the start of the regular season and could be out for a significant amount of time.
Holmes has the potential to be a great value signing for the Mets, but they will need to monitor his workload considering the significant transition. If he produces at a high level, then the Mets’ rotation at full strength could be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.
