Last offseason was the “reliever trying to become a starter again” although this winter isn’t all that much different. The New York Mets struck early in the offseason with a deal to sign Clay Holmes to be a starting pitcher. It was an odd choice to say the least; still is in fact.
Two years of $13 million plus a $12 million player option for 2027 make it a hardy deal for a guy many fans aren’t so bullish on making the transition. These kinds of things are difficult to predict. There’s a lot more work he needs to do than the average free agent signing.
Available until yesterday, Jeff Hoffman was looking to make the same move as Holmes. After reinventing himself as one of the best relievers in baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies the last two seasons, the former 9th overall pick will join the Toronto Blue Jays on a three-year deal that guarantees him $33 million. It’s less than what Holmes can earn. However, Hoffman is expected to remain in the bullpen and has bonus incentives, some of which include innings totals in case the Blue Jays do decide to move him into the rotation.
The Blue Jays deal with Jeff Hoffman isn’t all that different from what the Mets are paying Clay Holmes
You don’t have to like the idea of Holmes in the rotation, but the Hoffman deal definitely makes the Holmes one a bit more tolerable in case you had any gripes there. Hoffman had reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $40 million with the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the week. Shoulder concerns had the Orioles moving on.
Mets fans are most familiar with a failed physical from December 2022 when Carlos Correa agreed to a deal with the team only for New York to see the same thing the San Francisco Giants did upon examination. It’s a much larger extreme than what went on with Hoffman who saw his next best offer drop only a small percentage with a chance to make the O’s eat their doubts.
Holmes has no such injury concern that we know of. A deal costing nearly the same as Hoffman, a slightly older pitcher, seems very fair in the scope of them both taking on a matching role. Holmes is getting paid top relief pitcher level money with a plan of him only seeing the inside of a bullpen during pregame warmups.
The usage of each player is what will continue to divide fans. Understandably, signing Holmes so early in the offseason and drawing out blueprints where he is a starter from the beginning will remain a difficult idea to accept until he actually steps on the mound and does well. What we can appreciate about the Holmes deal is the Mets can slide him back into relief and not feel like they have an albatross contract in the bullpen but instead a fair market deal. As a starting pitcher, the hope is for him to be worth a lot more.
How would we have felt if the Mets, instead of promising Holmes a starting role, announced he’d be competing? Such a bold plan only opens the escape hatch if Holmes fails first. Spring training games start in only a few short weeks. The best result: Holmes silences his doubters. The worst result: he’s a dud and we have a really good reliever added to the bullpen. Then the more important flag raises, who replaces Holmes in the rotation?
