Phillies Have Sent Scouts To Watch Rival’s Pitcher During Rehab

The Philadelphia Phillies have been reeling since coming back to play from the All-Star break.

They have lost eight out of 11 games, dropping series to the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Miami Marlins. This is certainly not the kind of start the team was hoping for in the second half, as their hold on a Wild Card spot is tenuous.

The Phillies are only one game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are the No. 3 team in the NL Wild Card standings. Five teams are within 2.5 games of their spot, as this poor stretch has brought Philadelphia all the way back to the pack.

Given the current state of the roster, there may not be a team that needs a trade more than the Phillies, who have reportedly been on the scouting trail for pitching help. According to Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic (subscription required), Philadelphia is one of the franchises that sent scouts to watch Clay Holmes of the New York Mets during his rehab.

Phillies sent scouts to watch Clay Holmes

New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies. — Sep 10, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Scouts from the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks were among those who flocked to Dunedin, Fla., to evaluate Holmes, out since mid-May after a fibula fracture,” they wrote.

Holmes pitched for Single-A St. Lucie and dominated in front of a large contingent of MLB scouts. He threw four shutout innings, needing only 59 pitches to get through the outing. Two of the executives who were on hand to watch told The Athletic he “looked big-league ready.”

Scheduled to take the mound again on Aug. 2, the day before the MLB trade deadline, it will be interesting to see where that occurs. Do the Mets have him make another rehab start to ensure he is healthy, or have him pitch for the Major League team?

A trade could also be consummated before then, which would mean taking the mound with a new squad.

In the second year of a three-year, $38 million contract, Holmes has a player option for the 2027 season. It will be fascinating to see what he decides to do, given the current labor unrest, especially if he lands with a contender and continues to pitch to the level he has with New York.

Clay Holmes gets a strikeout and two ground balls to finish off his rehab outing for St. Lucie

Final line: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 59 pitches (37 strikes) pic.twitter.com/kTT1dnCyuJ
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 29, 2026

A relief pitcher at the start of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees, the Mets signed him and converted him to a starting pitcher. He has thrived in the team’s rotation, performing at an incredibly high level for someone who hadn’t been a starter in years.

In 42 outings, 40 of which were starts, with New York, Holmes has a 3.26 ERA in 218.1 innings of work. He has recorded 174 strikeouts with 4.1 bWAR and a 127 ERA+.

That would certainly look nice in the rotation alongside Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo. It would enable the Phillies to push Aaron Nola into a No. 5 role that he is better suited for at this point in his career.

Holmes would be a great addition to the pitching staff as someone who can help the team get through the regular season as the No. 4 starter and come out of the bullpen, if need be, in the postseason after some great performances with the Yankees as a relief pitcher during his tenure there.

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