The New York Mets may have killed two birds with one stone with their latest signing.
The Queens-based squad signed right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes to a three-year, $38 million deal, New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported Friday. The deal comes with an opt-out after the second year.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the team is hoping to turn Holmes, who has come out of the bullpen since 2018, into a starting pitcher.
Sherman reported that he could still come out of the bullpen, working as a set-up man for closer Edwin Diaz, but that plan is more of a fall-back.
Holmes, 31, spent the last four seasons across town with the New York Yankees and has come out as their closer in the last three.
He developed into a dominant closer with the New York Yankees after he was acquired from Pittsburgh in July 2021, becoming a two-time All-Star. But he struggled this year with control and allowing hits on soft contact, and he lost his closer’s job to Luke Weaver after allowing a game-ending grand slam to Texas rookie Wyatt Langford on Sept. 3.
Holmes was 3-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 30 saves in 67 appearances, leading the major leagues with 13 blown saves. Rediscovering his sinker, he developed into an effective setup man for the Yankees in the postseason.
In four career starts, all with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018, he has a 1-2 record with a 7.80 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched.
— With files from the Associated Press
