NEW YORK — After spending a considerable amount of time as a bullpen pitcher, Clay Holmes is fully embracing the opportunity to transition into a starting role, and he is feeling optimistic about the change.
Holmes recently signed a three-year contract worth $38 million with the New York Mets just days prior to his former teammate, Juan Soto, securing a monumental 15-year deal worth $765 million with the Mets. Holmes hopes that his move will send a positive message to Soto, encouraging him to follow suit in switching teams. “Deep down, I can’t lie,” Holmes remarked during a virtual meeting with reporters. “I chose to come here because I genuinely believe it’s the best fit for me. Hopefully, Juan sees this and realizes it’s a good opportunity, and maybe he’ll join me here. I’m extremely excited about this.”
As a two-time All-Star who previously served as the Yankees’ closer, Holmes acknowledges his background as a starter in the minors and expresses that the idea of returning to that role has always lingered in his thoughts. Back in 2020, he felt a sense of excitement about possibly starting for a team overseas.
While he was a reliever, Holmes relied heavily on his formidable sinker, which averaged 96.6 mph last season and comprised 56% of his pitches. In addition to his sinker, he employed sliders and sweepers, achieving an impressive groundball rate of 68.6% over the past three years—the highest in the league. These statistics suggest Holmes has the potential to pitch deeply into games while effectively neutralizing hitters from both sides.
He has also been honing a changeup and a four-seam fastball during bullpen practice sessions with Desi Druschel, the Yankees’ former assistant pitching coach who has been recruited by the Mets this offseason. “I believe there’s an opportunity to expand my pitching arsenal, which is harder to accomplish as a reliever,” Holmes explained. “With limited time, it becomes essential to stick to your strengths. However, I feel I have the depth in my arsenal to be more unpredictable, and I think starting provides the best avenue to showcase that.”
Holmes has made 114 starts in the minor leagues, but only four appearances as a starter in the major leagues during his rookie year with Pittsburgh in 2018. Once he entered free agency this fall, he engaged with multiple teams that showed interest in him as a starter. He expressed a desire to avoid regrets later in his career regarding missed opportunities. Conversations about transitioning back into a starting role did not occur with the Yankees.
Now aligned with the Mets, Holmes is enthusiastic about the pitching system led by David Stearns, the president of baseball operations, alongside pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and manager Carlos Mendoza, who served as the Yankees’ bench coach throughout much of Holmes’ time in New York. The Mets enjoyed a remarkable turnaround last season, making a deeper playoff run than anticipated.
“The culture the Mets have fostered is something desirable, and there is genuine momentum building here,” Holmes noted. “Having that support system is crucial, as this transition is one I can’t manage alone.”
Holmes, who will turn 32 in March, has a player option valued at $12 million for the 2027 season without a buyout clause. He has set an ambitious goal of pitching 160 innings in the upcoming season and appreciates the Mets’ lack of imposed limits on his workload.
He is set to join a pitching rotation that includes names like Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Frankie Montas, and Paul Blackburn, along with Tylor Megill and other candidates vying for a rotation spot. Holmes recognizes that shifting to a starting role will require some adjustments to his conditioning, for which he is grateful for the opportunity to train alongside All-Star lefty Garrett Crochet, who was recently traded from the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox.
Crochet represents one of several former relievers who successfully transitioned to starting roles in recent years, drawing parallels with pitchers like Michael King (San Diego), Reynaldo López (Atlanta), and Seth Lugo (Kansas City). Holmes looks forward to reconnecting with King, a former teammate, to gain insights into making this change.
“There’s a sort of roadmap in place given that others have successfully made this transition,” said Holmes. “It may not be typical, but it provides a sense of familiarity. I’m eager to embrace this journey ahead.”