Many people are advocating a reunion with one of the rare David Stearns transactions that actually flourished for the Mets when he was healthy, free agent to be Clay Holmes.
How good was he? Temporarily disregard his Yankee days as a highly effective relief pitcher and instead ponder just his Mets career as a starter. Between 2025 and 2026 he pitched a grand total of 40 games started in which he went 16-12 with an ERA of 3.26. His WHIP was in the 1.200 range. Anyone pondering whether or not he was successful in his conversion from reliever to starter isn’t watching the man pitch.
Of course, David Stearns then traded him away during his remarkable 2026 dominance to the Cubs who were fighting to move up in their division. They indeed benefited from the acquisition and made it to October baseball before losing their post season path in the first round.
The transaction was a combination of attempting to fortify the farm system and realizing that a QO would have been necessary to be offered and declined for the Mets to obtain a draft pick had Holmes entered free agency. Instead he was bundled with reserve outfielder Tyrone Taylor and brought back Jefferson Rojas who has immediately become the Mets’ top minor league prospect.
For all of the well deserved criticism, hostility and frustration Stearns has earned during his Mets tenure, this particular trade was indeed justifiable and understandable. Given that the Cubs are equally unlikely to make a QO on Holmes and Holmes is fully expected to decline his $12 million player option for 2027, it means that the now former Met is available to the highest bidder.
After considering the more expensive Michael King who has had a longer interval as a starting pitcher, it would seem Holmes is a much more reasonably priced and nearly as talented candidate to join the 2027 rotation. Most people are suggesting Holmes is likely to command a multiyear deal worth $20 million per season. Considering that he is coming off Stearns’ two year $26 million deal. At age 34 for the upcoming season he will not get a super long deal but it will be lucrative.
Some advocate the Mets go all-in on both former Yankee relievers. If the Mets spent $32 million per year for King and $20 million per year for Holmes that is a total of $52 million annually. That rate is close to the most optimistic paycheck burden the Dodgers, Yankees or whomever will pay for Tarik Skubal while spreading risk and limiting the length of commitment. If you think about it, that’s not really a bad approach.
For now the issue is more about making starting rotation decisions promptly instead of waiting until just before spring training begins in the hope the market comes down. For now the Mets have a rotation of Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, Sean Manaea and some candidates like Jonah Tong, Tobias Myers, Tylor Megill and Kodai Senga. Obviously reinforcements like Holmes and King would fortify the top five while pushing out the weaker links.
2 comments:
I like the idea of Holmes OR King. I hate long term contracts more and more.
But for Skubal, an exception: if Cohen wants to gamble, like my brother said, how long have we got left, I want to WIN now.
I like Holmes. But I agree either one. I think King will cost more and want longer contract.
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