Clay Holmes’ transition to a starting pitcher is off to a good, well, start.
Holmes, who spent most of the past three seasons as the Yankees’ closer, signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Mets this winter with plans to become a starter.
The offseason stages of those plans are going well, says Holmes, who reported to the Mets’ spring training facility in Port St. Lucie in mid-January.
“There’s a very detailed throwing build-up all the way through the end of spring, and that’s why I wanted to get down to Port St. Lucie early, just to stay on track with that,” Holmes said Saturday at the Amazin’ Day fan festival at Citi Field.
“I’ll probably start throwing to hitters a little earlier to make sure the build-up goes smoothly and things aren’t rushed.”
Holmes, 31, operated primarily as a starter as a minor leaguer with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he’s started only four of his 311 MLB appearances and none since his rookie year in 2018.
Acquired by the Yankees in a July 2021 trade, Holmes earned two All-Star selections and recorded 74 saves from 2022-24.
However, the 6-5 right-hander entered free agency interested in a return to starting. The Mets were similarly intrigued, identifying his pitch arsenal as one that, with some adjustments, could remain effective multiple times through a batting order.
“We’re gonna support him like crazy,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said during a panel Saturday. “We’re gonna monitor to make sure that his health stays in the right spot, but we’re optimistic that he’s going to be a really good starting pitcher for us.”
As a reliever, Holmes relied heavily on a power sinker, and he also threw a slider. He began deploying a four-seam fastball down the stretch last season, and that pitch turned into a weapon for him in the postseason.
Holmes knew he would have to expand his arsenal to survive as a starting pitcher and has been working this winter to add a changeup that can neutralize left-handed hitters.
“The changeup is something I knew I could throw,” Holmes said. “It started probably halfway through [last] year. Me and a couple of guys in the bullpen were messing around with grips, and I was throwing it on the track, and I was like, this actually could be a decent pitch.”
Holmes finished 2024 with a 3.14 ERA and 30 saves, but he tied a Yankee record with 13 blown saves and lost his closer job in September.
He re-emerged in the postseason, going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA over 12 innings while appearing in all but one of the Yankees’ playoff games.
“We’re committed for him to be a starter,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who previously worked with Holmes as the Yankees’ bench coach, said on a panel Saturday. “He’s going to get a lot of opportunities. We understand that even the best of the best are gonna go through some struggles.”
Holmes joins a Mets rotation that also added Frankie Montas this offseason and that brings back Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson and Paul Blackburn.
And while the specifics of his new routine still need to be hammered out during spring training, Holmes feels confident his transition will continue to go smoothly.
“The big thing is there’s a plan in place, and I think when you have that, I feel like there’s less stress around it,” Holmes said. “I know what I need to do. I don’t have to do anything more. It’s not like I necessarily have to change who I am as a pitcher.”