Yankees Embattled $20 Million All-Star Predicted To Defect To Royals In Free Agency
The Kansas City Royals are passing their offseason tests to this point, but there are still more questions to answer.
The Royals kept their top three rotation arms together by extending Michael Wacha, then traded for second baseman Jonathan India to shore up the leadoff spot. That leaves the outfield and bullpen as the two main problem areas for Kansas City to keep in mind this winter.
The Royals may have found their closer at the trade deadline in Lucas Erceg, who was lights-out after arriving in KC from the then-Oakland Athletics. But they certainly need at least one more high-leverage arm, and having one with closing experience would be nice insurance for Erceg.
Ironically enough, that arm could come from the team that eliminated Kansas City from the 2024 playoffs.
Clay Holmes, the two-time New York Yankees All-Star who lost his grip on the closer role in the Bronx late this season, is now a free agent. Andy McCullough of The Athletic recently predicted that Holmes would sign with the Royals, with the same publication also projecting him for a two-year, $20 million contract.
"The addition of Jonathan India fulfilled the team’s desire for a leadoff hitter and likely foreclosed on a serious pursuit of a more expensive second baseman who can bat leadoff: Gleyber Torres. Going after Holmes, a quality reliever who buckled beneath the weight of closing for the Yankees, could be a worthwhile investment," McCullough said.
"Holmes still generated whiffs and missed barrels in 2024 even while blowing saves. His arsenal would deepen the Royals bullpen and offer more high-leverage options for manager Matt Quatraro."
Holmes, 31, did lead the majors with 13 blown saves this season, compared to 30 successes. However, he still finished the season with a 3.14 ERA. Across 220 appearances as a Yankee, he had a 2.69 ERA and 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Royals' defense is much better than the Yankees', so Holmes' bad luck should lessen if he does sign in KC. And if they're not counting on him to be a closer, Holmes could wind up making an excellent setup man/fireman in the Kansas City bullpen for the next two seasons.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org