Clay Holmes will start for the Mets on Opening Day on the road against the Houston Astros.
The Mets free agent offseason signee finished spring training as a starter with a 0.93 ERA in 19 1/3 innings with 23 strikeouts to show for it. He ended the spring in style last Friday when he allowed no runs on two hits with eight strikeouts against the St. Louis Cardinals on 88 pitches in 5 1/3 innings.
While taking spring training seriously is hard, those 23 strikeouts are hard to ignore. He made it look easy, too. On Friday, he pitched like a workhorse, determined to go as deep as possible. He wanted to prove he had what it takes to be a starter by toughening despite being fatigued.
Now he is happy to get the Opening Day assignment, considering that other starters, such as David Peterson or Kodai Senga, are deserving.
Holmes was an interesting signing by the Mets. Despite blowing saves for the Yankees to the point that he lost his job as a closer, Mets president of baseball operations, David Stearns, had faith that he could flourish as a starter with the help of the team’s pitching lab. Yet, common sense says Stearns would have been wise to throw all that money to free agent Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But here’s the thing: the Mets baseball boss does not believe in overpaying starters. He either wants to build his rotation from within or take a chance on guys who have potential or need a change of scenery for a bargain-basement price. Stearns succeeded that way with Sean Manaea and Luis Severino, and he wagered that he could get the same results with Holmes for a bargain price of $38 million for three years.
For the former Yankee closer, it’s a new lease of life. It’s a chance to show that he can be an elite starter and an opportunity for him to elevate the Mets in the starting rotation.
Holmes has always wanted to be a starter and is not alone in that quest. Most relievers would rather be starters since they make more money that way. If he can execute his cutter and change up well, he can succeed as a starter. This offseason, he worked on his mechanics, such as using the leg kick overseen by pitching guru Leif Strom.
All eyes are going to be on him against the Astros. Shoot, every start he makes will be a referendum. If he does well, Stearns will be hailed. If he doesn’t, the critics will come out of the woodwork and wonder why the Mets decided to be cheap on getting a starter. That’s just the way it goes, especially in New York.
The Mets can win a championship if their starting pitching is better than people think. This means Holmes has to pitch like an ace. If he can do that, he will put his Yankee experience behind him for good.
