The Chicago Cubs acquired Clay Holmes at the MLB trade deadline, but now he is hitting free agency.
Holmes had a $12 million player option on the three-year, $38 million deal he signed with the New York Mets before the 2025 season, and he is declining it, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers. He signed as a starter after working as a star reliever for the New York Yankees. He posted a 3.53 ERA in his first full season as a starter for the Mets.
This year, he was off to a stellar start, posting a 2.39 ERA through nine starts. However, he fractured his leg after taking a comebacker off it and was sidelined for months. He had a 4.25 ERA after the trade to the Cubs, but he still figures to get paid as a quality starter as a free agent.
It's not a shock he opted out of his deal, likely looking for a more lucrative deal. The Cubs did not even use him before they were eliminated, and Holmes should be able to find a new home in a needy rotation.
The Cubs could show interest in bringing him back simply out of need, but overall, his results on the team were not great.
Holmes is 33 years old, but there are plenty of teams that could use an arm like his in their rotation. He's not an ace, but he could be a solid middle rotation arm. He gets a ton of ground balls, so perhaps his best fit would be on a team with an elite defensive infield.