Inside The Pinstripes

Key Yankees Reliever Predicted to Sign With Divisional Foe

Former New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes could be headed to another AL East team in free agency.

Grant Young

Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes (35) walks to the dugout in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game one of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes (35) walks to the dugout in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game one of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes is now an unrestricted free agent after his rollercoaster 2024 campaign in New York came to an end.

It remains to be seen whether the Yankees will try and re-sign Holmes this winter; although it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if they decide to cut ties with their former closer, given his well-documented struggles down the stretch.

That said, given how elite Holmes is when he's on his game, Yankees fans would prefer he stays out of the AL East. But Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly predicted their wish won't be granted in a November 11 article.

"Clay Holmes was an All-Star for the second time in three years this past campaign for the New York Yankees, posting a 2.77 ERA in 40 games during the first half of the season.

"However, the 31-year-old lost the closer's job late in the 2024 season, posting a 3.75 ERA in 27 games following the All-Star break," Kelly wrote.

"To his credit, Holmes rebounded and was largely effective in the postseason, finishing with a 2.25 ERA across 13 playoff appearances.

"However, the control problems that plagued him down the stretch of the regular season are hard to put out of your mind, and likely mean A) he won't be back with the Yankees and B) he's not going to make as much money as it once appeared he would," Kelly said.

"Still, there will be plenty of contenders interested in Holmes, likely enough that he'll be able to get a multi-year deal if that's what he wants. He would be a nice addition to the Orioles as a setup man for closer Félix Bautista, who will return after missing the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery," he concluded, predicting that Holmes will sign a two-year, $24 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles this offseason.

Time will tell whether Kelly's prediction for Holmes comes true.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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