Clay Holmes is hitting the free agent market. Could a return to Flushing be in the cards?
The right-hander, whom the Mets traded to the Cubs at the deadline, declined his $12 million player option for 2027.
The 33-year-old signed a three-year, $38 million contract with the Mets after the 2024 season and made a successful pivot from reliever to starter after serving as a late-inning stalwart for the Yankees over parts of four seasons.
In 2025, Holmes had a 3.53 ERA with 129 strikeouts in 165 â innings. In nine starts for the Mets this year, Holmes had a 2.39 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 52 â innings before he was dealt to Chicago.
Holmes’ performance dipped with the Cubs, as Holmes recorded a 4.25 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 48 â innings in nine starts. His last Mets start came against the Yankees on May 15, when he suffered a fractured fibula on a comebacker. He debuted with the Cubs on Aug. 8.
In return for Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor, the Mets received 21-year-old infielder Jefferson Rojas, who quickly became the organization’s top prospect, per MLB.com.
Rojas hit .280 with a .929 OPS, nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 29 games for Double-A Binghamton. In six games for Triple-A Syracuse, Rojas was 8-for-26 with three homers and seven RBIs.
Now the Mets have a chance to have both Rojas and Holmes, as the club will be in the market for starting pitching this winter.
They figure to be among the teams in pursuit of Tarik Skubal, the top free agent who could be in line for a $300 million-plus contract. Michael King is another potential target for the Mets.
