A Soto deal to seal Clay Holmes’ fate? Yankees’ financial crossroads looms
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Follow UsIn his contract year, Yankees’ closer Clay Holmes has a desire to see his team secure a World Series title and retain the same roster to chase another championship the following year. However, in a recent interview, while outlining his vision for the future, he consciously avoided speculation about his long-term future, especially with free agency looming at the end of the season.
Clay Holmes mentioned during the All-Star break that he doesn’t expect any contract discussions to begin until the season concludes. But his free agency situation seems to be complicated by the Yankees’ potential financial commitment to re-signing Juan Soto, who is likely to be the team’s top priority.
Retaining Soto could significantly limit the Yankees’ ability to allocate funds to other areas, a concern highlighted by Hal Steinbrenner’s recent remarks about the club’s projected $300 million payroll for 2024 being unsustainable in the long run.
While Clay Holmes has expressed a strong desire to remain with the Yankees, he acknowledges that these decisions will unfold in the coming months. He remains pragmatic, confident that “stuff will work out when it needs to” when the time is right. The Yankees are not facing immediate pressure to make any decisions until November.
Clay Holmes remains a Yankees pillar despite a feeble 2024
During his three-and-a-half years with the Yankees, Clay Holmes has evolved from an unexpected success story into the team’s reliable closer, though his role has faced some scrutiny recently. Acquired from the Pirates in July 2021 in exchange for minor leaguers Diego Castillo and Hoy Park, Clay Holmes’ impact has been significant, far exceeding initial expectations.
While Castillo and Park have had limited success, Clay Holmes has thrived, earning his second All-Star selection this season. The Yankees’ coaching staff quickly helped him refine his game, particularly focusing on his sinker. This adjustment has led to an impressive 2.55 ERA over 201 ¹/₃ innings with the team.
Holmes has also shown remarkable durability, with only two brief stints on the injured list in August 2021 and 2022, both of which saw him return to the mound within a month.
Reflecting on his tenure with the Yankees, Clay Holmes described it as an exceptional journey, expressing gratitude for the chance to refine his skills and make a significant impact on the team’s success since joining. He acknowledged that every player’s path is unique, but he’s appreciative of the opportunities he’s had with the organization.
“It’s been special,” the Yankees closer told about his time in pinstripes. “Obviously, everybody’s journey is a little different in that sense, but to be able to come over here and really start to put some things together, it’s been rewarding just being able to go out and really feel like I can contribute to help the team win.”
Clay Holmes has earned a reputation as a reliable and effective reliever, though some analysts suggest he hasn’t reached the level of dominance often expected of a closer. One area where he might enhance his game is in generating more strikeouts. This season, he has tallied 49 strikeouts over 46 ²/₃ innings—a solid figure, but not outstanding for a late-inning pitcher who frequently needs to prevent any contact.
The ghost runner rule in extra innings has underscored the importance of relievers who can consistently strike out batters, reducing the risk of weakly hit balls turning into runs. Despite Clay Holmes’ commendable 2.70 ERA this season, some of his struggles have come from ground balls finding gaps, a challenge that has resulted in 24 saves out of 33 opportunities.
Clay Holmes leads all pitchers with a 67.6% ground ball rate, and the average exit velocity against him is a relatively low 87.7 mph. However, his 24.5% strikeout rate, while solid, doesn’t place him among the elite. This may have influenced the Yankees’ decision to acquire Mark Leiter Jr., whose 33.7% strikeout rate adds a swing-and-miss dimension to the bullpen.
While Clay Holmes has surpassed the Yankees’ expectations, his looming free agency raises questions about whether the team will invest in retaining the 31-year-old, particularly with potential budget constraints.
The Yankees’ bullpen could undergo significant changes soon, with Jonathan Loaisiga and Tommy Kahnle also facing free agency. Meanwhile, Leiter remains under team control through 2026, and several other relievers, including Ian Hamilton, Michael Tonkin, Jake Cousins, Enyel De Los Santos, and Scott Effross, are locked in through at least next season. The Yankees also hold options for Luke Weaver and Lou Trivino for 2025.
As Clay Holmes eyes free agency, the market is expected to feature several veteran closers, such as Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, Tanner Scott, Carlos Estevez, and Yimi Garcia, offering teams plenty of options for late-inning relief.
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Yankees should have Mariano Rivera come in and tutor Holmes, and others, on how to throw the devastating cutter that he made his fame on. Maybe it won’t be as good, but hey, why not try!!!