Aaron Boone just gave Yankees fans a jump scare with this Clay Holmes answer

Clay Holmes, formerly the closer of the New York Yankees, blows saves. It's what he does these days. He blows saves in the closer role -- 11 this season, to be exact. He blows saves when used in innings other than the ninth -- two of them already, in 2.5 weeks away from top dog duties. He was an excellent closer in 2022 and 2023, a good-but-lucky one in 2024's first few months, and is not a closer right now.

Still, the Yankees backed themselves into a corner with the timing of his demotion, sending him back into the lab without enough time on the clock before October to fully shake off the mental impact of his previous struggles, and about a month too late for outside help to be a factor in his deemphasis. Luke Weaver, Ian Hamilton, and Tommy Kahnle have been remarkably helpful thus far. They also aren't Tanner Scott or AJ Puk.

An external alternative (no, not Mark Leiter Jr.) would've been great in this instance. Unfortunately, the Yankees no longer have the ability to import one. So, when Aaron Boone was asked on Talkin' Yanks this week about Holmes in the postseason, it came as no great surprise that he announced he plans to use him in tight spots moving forward. After all, he's gotten exclusively tight spots since his demotion, and has mostly struggled to find his rhythm when the curtain's been lifted.

Should've seen this coming, but still ... tough to hear.

Yankees plan to use Clay Holmes in close games in MLB Playoffs because they have to

Can you at least ... do us a favor ... and avoid the one-run games? And keep the hook quick, like you did in Oakland on Sunday (when Weaver really helped everyone out again).

In fairness to the Yankees, they have gotten as "creative" with the closer role as they promised on the day of Holmes' demotion. Weaver has become the de facto top option, but Nestor Cortes Jr. also thrived in an extended save in Chicago, and Tommy Kahnle and Jake Cousins have gotten their chances as well.

Unfortunately, that creativity didn't work so well at the deadline, when the Yankees hoped to get lucky with Leiter Jr.'s swing-and-miss while refusing to pay higher prices for proven commodities like Scott and Jason Adam. Fingers crossed that malfeasance doesn't ultimately end up with Holmes right back where he started in a winner-take-all this fall.