Of the many moves the Mets have made this offseason, signing Clay Holmes as a starter might be at the top.
Holmes spent the past three seasons as the Yankees’ closer and hasn’t started a game since his rookie year with the Pirates, but Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was open to the transition when Holmes’ agent asked if that was an option.
Stearns said he and Holmes’ camp first spoke at the GM Meetings in early November. The Mets talked up how they believed in the reliever’s abilities and manager Carlos Mendoza’s familiarity with him.
That’s when Holmes’ “long-wanted” desire to go back to starting was broached and Stearns was more than open to the idea.
“We had multiple discussions,” Stearns told the media Tuesday at the Winter Meetings. “[Pitching coach] Jeremy Heffner talked to Clay, medical staff spoke to him. Came away believing this was a real possibility and we could get this player to a point where he can be a very good major league starter. He was motivated to do that and we worked out a deal.”
The Mets signed Holmes to a three-year, $38 million to bolster what will likely be a reworked six-man rotation that includes Kodai Senga, Frankie Montas, and David Peterson with potentially more to come.
But the beauty of acquiring a pitcher like Holmes is that he can also bolster the bullpen if necessary, potentially setting up closer Edwin Diaz. But Stearns is keen on keeping Holmes in the rotation.
“He’s in our rotation. We believe he’s a starter. If for some reason that doesn’t work, we know he’s an effective reliever,” Stearns explained. “He’s coming here because he wants to start. We believe he’s a starter and he’s going to get every opportunity to do that.”
Stearns said that Holmes’ desire to start is the first indicator he’s confident the transition will work. But Holmes’ pitch arsenal also works against both righties and lefties, and the mix can help him get through a lineup multiple times.
He did say that they will have Holmes work on a few pitches, especially a changeup, which the 31-year-old is comfortable doing.
“Until we see what it looks like going through a lineup multiple times, it’s going to be an evolving process,” Stearns said.
The Mets POBO reiterated how they don’t work with “innings limits” and that will remain the same with Holmes. They will keep checking in on Holmes’ health and adjust if necessary but they plan on the long-time reliever being a “normal” starter.
It will help Holmes’ transition in a six-man rotation, and Stearns said he hopes to have 8-10 pitchers throughout the organization who can start on any given day. As the offseason signings heat up, expect Stearns to continue rebuilding the rotation.