Mets' New Starter Has Bold Intention to Shatter Career-High in Innings

New York Mets new starter and former reliever Clay Holmes boldly intends to shatter his career-high in innings in 2025.

Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clay Holmes (35) throws during the tenth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have taken a chance on Clay Holmes, a former All-Star reliever/closer, as a starting pitcher, dishing out a three-year, $38 million deal to the veteran arm.

Holmes began his professional career as a starter in the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system, but has not served in this role since his rookie season back in 2018.

Regardless, Holmes is confident that he can thrive in the rotation due to the Mets' strong player development system, which is part of the reason he chose to switch boroughs and come to Queens.

Holmes, who spoke on his introductory zoom earlier in the week, felt the Mets' coaching staff, naming pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and assistant Desi Druschel (came over from the Yankees), plus the club's resources made the Mets a fit.

"I think there's a lot of trust in what they're able to do," Holmes said. "What they see and how they're able to develop starting pitchers and even do that in the big-leagues."

The Mets were able to sell Holmes on how they are going to be able to help him tranform into a successful starter in their rotation.

Holmes, whose career-high in innings which was 136.1 in 2016 which came in Double-A ball, has not thrown more than 70 innings since 2018. However, the veteran righty has bold intentions to shatter his previous career-high mark.

"My intention going in is to throw 160 innings," Holmes said. "I want to throw as many innings as I can."

Holmes acknowledged the fact that he must do that in a safe fashion, but expressed his confidence in the Mets' training staff.

In the meantime, Holmes revealed that he has been working out and throwing with newest Boston Red Sox trade acquisition Garrett Crochet. The 25-year-old lefty is another reliever turned starter success story after enduring a breakout season with the Chicago White Sox in 2024 before being dealt earlier to Boston this month.

Beyond Crochet, other former relievers have turned into dominant starters such as (former Met) Seth Lugo and Atlanta Braves' Reynaldo Lopez.

Holmes struggled in the early part of his career in Pittsburgh, but the Yankees acquired him from the Pirates at the 2021 trade deadline and helped him become one of the better relievers in the league.

Holmes eventually became the Yankees' primary closer in 2022, but ultimately lost his role in September of last season due to an MLB-leading 13 blown saves. Upon reverting to a setup man role, Holmes rediscovered himself. Now, the Mets are hoping he can become the next breakout starter in baseball.

Holmes is also of course super stoked that his former Yankees teammate Juan Soto has now joined him with the Mets.

"I was like 'maybe Juan sees this and sees that the water is fine and follows me over here.' So I'm super pumped for it and glad the Mets were able to sign him," Holmes said of Soto.

In addition to Holmes, the Mets have signed starters Frankie Montas (two-years, $34 million) and Griffin Canning (one-year, $4.25 million). Luis Severino signed a three-year, $67 million deal with the A's, and it remains to be seen whether lefty Sean Manaea and/or Jose Quintana are brought back.

At this point, it looks like the Mets are in need of at least one more impactful big-league starter. That being said, Holmes will be relied upon heavily to carry his weight in the starting rotation in 2025 and beyond.