The New York Mets are set to lose over half their starting pitching rotation this winter. Because of this, the Mets have been rumored to be in on the top free agent arms of the offseason, but that doesn't have to be the case.
While the Mets need arms, they don't have to issue out $400 million to grab three pitchers for the rotation. Instead, they could opt to bargain shop in the same way they did last offseason when they brought in Sean Manaea and Luis Severino.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently reported quite an interesting idea for the Mets. Instead of diving into the high-end starters, Sherman suggested the Mets are interested in adding New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes, but as a starting pitcher.
"What teams see in Holmes to potentially move him to the rotation is the ability to throw two fastballs (four-seamer and sinker), two breaking balls (slider and sweeper) and the aptitude to develop a changeup. The sinker is viewed as a dominant pitch. Plus, Holmes has a track record of durability as a reliever," Sherman wrote. "For the Mets, Holmes could try to follow in the path of King, a former Yankee teammate, and provide a rotation answer for the Mets. And, if that failed, the Mets need relievers, notably someone who could provide both set-up to and potentially a safety net for Edwin Diaz. Because Holmes can do that from the pen, he has a strong market."
This move would be low risk, high reward for the Mets, as long as they're not forced to sign Holmes for starter money. Spotrac projects Holmes to sign a four-year, $54 million deal.
Moving him to a starting role, like many teams have done with other pitchers in the past, gives the Mets the upside of it succeeding. But if Holmes can't do it and struggles, he simply slots back into the bullpen as one of New York's high-leverage relievers.
I like the idea of giving this a shot. The Mets have the money and the need, so the fit makes sense.
