{"id":19185,"date":"2024-12-19T08:08:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T08:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185"},"modified":"2024-12-19T08:08:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T08:08:09","slug":"breking-clay-holmes-admits-mets-deal-came-with-juan-soto-twist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185","title":{"rendered":"BREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Clay Holmes was hoping Juan Soto would follow him to Queens, and he did.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Clay<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Clay Holmes is embracing a major career shift after signing a three-year, $38 million contract with the New York Mets. The former Yankees closer is transitioning back to a starting role, something he hasn\u2019t done since his minor league days. Yet Holmes\u2019 decision to join the Mets wasn\u2019t just about his career\u2014it came with hopes of influencing one of baseball\u2019s biggest stars.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeep down, I can\u2019t lie,\u201d Holmes admitted during a Zoom call with reporters. \u201cI mean, I obviously made my decision because I think it\u2019s the best place. But hopefully, you know, I was like, maybe Juan [Soto] sees this and sees that the water\u2019s fine and will follow me over here. So, I\u2019m super pumped for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holmes\u2019 move across town indeed preceded Soto\u2019s record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets, solidifying the team\u2019s status as a powerhouse. While Soto brings his elite bat, Holmes aims to contribute as a versatile pitcher in a rotation featuring Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Frankie Montas, and Paul Blackburn.<\/p>\n

Clay Holmes looks to dominate as he takes on a role in the Mets’ rotation<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Clay
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Holmes, a two-time All-Star with the Yankees, excelled as a reliever by relying heavily on his signature sinker, which generated a league-best 68.6% groundball rate over the past three years. However, he\u2019s excited to expand his arsenal as a starter, adding a changeup and four-seam fastball he began refining during bullpen sessions with former Yankees assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s some room there for an arsenal that\u2019s kind of tough to do as a reliever,\u201d Holmes explained. \u201cStarting gives me the best opportunity to do that and expose it. So, I\u2019m excited to see what this could bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holmes\u2019 familiarity with Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, previously the Yankees\u2019 bench coach, and the team\u2019s strong pitching infrastructure under president of baseball operations David Stearns were key factors in his decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the culture here they\u2019ve created is something that I think people want to be a part of,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cThere\u2019s a real momentum here. This is definitely not going to be a transition that just happens\u2026so, surrounding myself with people that I felt really good about was important.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 32 years old, Holmes has set an ambitious goal of throwing 160 innings next season. He joins a growing list of former relievers who have successfully transitioned to starting roles, including Michael King and Reynaldo L\u00f3pez.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s kind of somewhat of a little road map. You see how guys do it. It\u2019s not super common, but you don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re in uncharted waters,\u201d Holmes said.<\/p>\n

As Holmes embarks on this new chapter, his optimism about his role and Soto\u2019s addition reflects the Mets\u2019 broader ambitions: building a team ready to dominate in the National League for years to come.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After the Mets signed free-agent Clay Holmes to a three-year deal, Juan Soto followed shortly after, and that’s what Holmes was hoping for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":19196,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[508,65,52],"class_list":["post-19185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-clay-holmes","tag-juan-soto","tag-mlb-free-agency"],"yoast_head":"\nBREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After the Mets signed free-agent Clay Holmes to a three-year deal, Juan Soto followed shortly after, and that's what Holmes was hoping for.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-19T08:08:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PICTURE-1300-x-1500-px-89.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MsNga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MsNga\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185\",\"name\":\"BREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PICTURE-1300-x-1500-px-89.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-19T08:08:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-19T08:08:09+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7d8919f80fe19b5d17fd5541862a7b37\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PICTURE-1300-x-1500-px-89.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PICTURE-1300-x-1500-px-89.jpg\",\"width\":1300,\"height\":1500},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"BREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7d8919f80fe19b5d17fd5541862a7b37\",\"name\":\"MsNga\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ddc5cc36b52e56e3c9aa09d60c7293d0b8a7d5eb4bfe93f637ffa8cb25ea8ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ddc5cc36b52e56e3c9aa09d60c7293d0b8a7d5eb4bfe93f637ffa8cb25ea8ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MsNga\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=5\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"BREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"BREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist - NEWS USA","og_description":"After the Mets signed free-agent Clay Holmes to a three-year deal, Juan Soto followed shortly after, and that's what Holmes was hoping for.","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2024-12-19T08:08:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1300,"height":1500,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PICTURE-1300-x-1500-px-89.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"MsNga","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MsNga","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185","name":"BREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PICTURE-1300-x-1500-px-89.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-19T08:08:09+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-19T08:08:09+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7d8919f80fe19b5d17fd5541862a7b37"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PICTURE-1300-x-1500-px-89.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/PICTURE-1300-x-1500-px-89.jpg","width":1300,"height":1500},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=19185#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"BREKING: Clay Holmes admits Mets deal came with Juan Soto twist"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7d8919f80fe19b5d17fd5541862a7b37","name":"MsNga","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ddc5cc36b52e56e3c9aa09d60c7293d0b8a7d5eb4bfe93f637ffa8cb25ea8ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ddc5cc36b52e56e3c9aa09d60c7293d0b8a7d5eb4bfe93f637ffa8cb25ea8ac7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MsNga"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=5"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19185"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19197,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19185\/revisions\/19197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}