The New York Mets are expected to be one of the most active sellers this week, leading up to the MLB trade deadline.
Among the players who could be dealt is pitcher Clay Holmes. After spending years as an All-Star reliever for the New York Yankees, Holmes signed a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets as a starter. He had a solid first season as a starter, posting a 3.53 ERA.
This year, he had a 2.39 ERA through nine starts. Unfortunately, he fractured his fibula after taking a comebacker off the leg. He is currently on a rehab assignment, and during his last rehab start, scouts from the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks were present.
Teams are interested in him for sure. He has a $12 million player option for next season that he is likely to decline after establishing himself as a valuable starter. The Mets could try to keep him around after two strong seasons, but apparently they are not interested in that.
"There’s no extension talk ongoing with Mets starter Clay Holmes, so presumably there will be no extension," wrote MLB insider Jon Heyman on X on Thursday. "In this sellers market, with precious few frontline starters available, this is a big trade piece. Nearly every contender scouted him in rehab game."
Holmes has looked good in his rehab appearances and could play very well on a team with an elite defensive infield. He gets a ton of ground balls and could be very successful on a team like the Milwaukee Brewers or Atlanta Braves.