Veteran right-handed reliever Clay Holmes has agreed to terms with the New York Mets, the team announced Monday. It's a three-year contract worth $38 million.
Holmes, who will turn 32 just before Opening Day, this past season pitched to a 3.14 ERA (131 ERA+) and an FIP of 3.02 in 63 innings for the Yankees. Although Holmes eventually lost his role as closer for the eventual American League champions, he still logged a career-high 30 saves. Over those 63 innings, Holmes struck out 68 and issued 21 unintentional walks.
The Mets intend to try Holmes as a starting pitcher next season, reports the New York Post. He came up through the minors as a starter and made four big-league starts in 2018, but none since. Several relievers have had success transitioning into the rotation in recent years, most notably former Mets setup man Seth Lugo. Reynaldo López and Michael King have done it as well. He'll join a revamped rotation with Kodai Senga, the newly signed Frankie Montas, Paul Blackburn and one or both of David Peterson and Tylor Megill.
Earlier in the offseason, CBS Sports ranked Holmes as the No. 23 available free agent in the current class. Here's part of our write-up:
By almost any measure, Holmes had a terrific run with the Yankees. Over three-plus seasons, he amassed a 155 ERA+, a 3.45 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 74 saves. It's a little disheartening, then, that his final season in the Bronx saw him lose his closer's gig after blowing 13 of his 43 save opportunities. SURE LOCK Holmes he wasn't. Nevertheless, he made some adjustments throughout the year: first reducing his slider usage in favor of a sweeper, then leaning even more heavily into his trademark sinker. Even if Holmes hadn't shown adaptability, his underlying measures and track record are strong enough that we believe teams will overlook his spotty save conversion rate and gladly hand over both a multi-year deal and a high-leverage role.
For his career, Holmes has an ERA+ of 113 across parts of seven major-league seasons. Of his 311 games pitched, 307 have been relief appearances. He's a two-time All-Star.