Veteran right-handed reliever Clay Holmes has signed a three-year contract worth $38 million with the New York Mets, as announced by the team on Monday.
During the past season, Holmes, who will soon be 32 years old, posted a 3.14 ERA (131 ERA+) and a 3.02 FIP in 63 innings for the Yankees. Despite losing his role as closer for the eventual American League champions, Holmes achieved a career-high 30 saves. Throughout those 63 innings, he recorded 68 strikeouts and issued 21 unintentional walks.
According to a report by the New York Post, the Mets plan to transition Holmes into a starting pitcher for the upcoming season. Although he primarily served as a reliever, Holmes has experience as a starter in the minors and made four big-league starts in 2018. The Mets are looking to capitalize on the success of other relievers turned starters like Seth Lugo, Reynaldo López, and Michael King. Holmes will join a revamped rotation alongside Kodai Senga, Frankie Montas, Paul Blackburn, and possibly David Peterson or Tylor Megill.
In a previous CBS Sports ranking, Holmes was listed as the 23rd available free agent in the current class. The article highlighted his strong performance with the Yankees over three-plus seasons, which included a 155 ERA+ and 74 saves. Despite facing challenges in his final season with the team, Holmes showcased adaptability by making adjustments to his pitching approach.
Throughout his career, Holmes has pitched in 311 games, with 307 appearances as a reliever. He is a two-time All-Star with an ERA+ of 113 across seven major-league seasons.
following sentence:
The cat ran quickly across the street.
The cat sprinted across the street.