Mets Make a Big Splash in Free Agency: Clay Holmes Agrees to 3- Year, $38 Million Deal With Mets
The New York Mets agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal with right-hander Clay Holmes, according to multiple media reports Friday.
The deal reportedly would allow him to opt out after the 2026 season.
The Mets reportedly will convert the longtime reliever into a starter next season. Holmes hasn’t started a game since his rookie season in 2018 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After struggling to make a mark with the Pirates — posting a 5.57 ERA in three-plus seasons — Holmes immediately turned things around with the New York Yankees, who acquired him at the trade deadline in 2021. That year, Holmes went 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA in 25 appearances down the stretch with the Yankees.
He built off that success in 2022, when he replaced Aroldis Chapman as the Yankees’ closer. Holmes went 7-4 with a 2.54 ERA and notched 20 saves, earning his first All-Star selection. Holmes saved 30 games in 2024 and was named to his second All-Star Game.
Holmes, 31, has gone 24-22 with a 3.71 ERA and 74 saves in seven seasons with the Pirates (2018-21) and Yankees (2021-24).
