Mets' reported interest in former Yankees pitcher might come with surprising new role

Oh, the Mets interested in former Yankees players? Haven't heard that before! From Robinson Cano to Adam Ottavino to Gary Sánchez to Harrison Bader to Luis Severino to Luis Torrens in recent years, the list will continue to grow this offseason with ... Juan Soto!

But it won't stop there. According to the latest buzz, the Mets are also keeping tabs on former Yankees closer Clay Holmes, who fell out of favor very quickly in the Bronx as the organization remained stubborn with his role in the bullpen.

The Mets, apparently, are beyond open-minded, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post's latest report revealing they are willing to move him into the rotation. The starting rotation?! Is this Jordan Hicks 2.0? The San Francisco Giants converted Hicks to a starter after he spent years as the St. Louis Cardinals' closer as a way to get rotation help at a discount.

Holmes, once upon a time, was a starter, which is how he began his professional career after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was called up to MLB in 2018 and started four games, but appeared in seven relief outings. From that point forward, he was a reliever.

And a bad one! The Pirates couldn't figure him out, leading to a trade with the Yankees in 2021, and he was reinvented, becoming one of the best in the sport for various spurts of time.

Yankees Rumors: Mets pursuing Clay Holmes in free agency

The Mets have done admirable work on the pitching front. They got the absolute most out of Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea and Severino, especially this past season, and are hoping for more of the same as they work through those likely free agency departures. These types of moves are exactly in president of baseball operations David Stearns' wheelhouse, too.

Don't forget, Stearns time in Milwaukee overlapped with Holmes' time in Pittsburgh, so the executive likely saw more of the right-hander than many might suspect as they resided in the same division. It's unclear if Holmes is interested in the role change, but he's definitely looking for a breath of fresh air and different scenery.

The Mets have cast a wide net in free agency on the pitching front. They're eyeing former Braves starter Mike Soroka as a reliever, too, after his brief transition went well with the Chicago White Sox in 2024. Holmes has less of a recent track record with such a big switch, which may signal a lengthier work in progress.

Though Yankees fans want Holmes gone, they'll undoubtedly be upset if yet another former player finds success just a few miles away after the recent batch featuring Severino and Bader did.