Former New York Yankees All-Star Closer Named Opening Day Starter for Mets

A former New York Yankees star has officially converted to a starter and is the best option for the New York Mets.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clay Holmes (35) throws during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

A former New York Yankees All-Star reliever has officially made the transition to a starting role with the team's most hated rival and is their best option at the start of the year.

As first reported by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the New York Mets are set to start Clay Holmes on Opening Day after signing the right-hander to a three-year deal worth $38 million this offseason to take him across town from the Bronx to Queens.

Whether this was the plan all along when the Mets made the deal or a choice that had to be made once their starting rotation started dropping like flies is unknown, but they certainly are relying heavily on someone who has started just four games in his MLB career and none since his rookie season in 2018 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

New York did plan on turning him into a starter when they gave him the lucrative contract, but surely they did not plan at the time for him to be leading their rotation to begin the year.

Holmes had spent the last three full seasons with the Yankees after they acquired him in a trade with the Pirates at the trade deadline in 2020. In 220 appearances in the Bronx, Holmes had an ERA of 2.69 and a WHIP of 1.116 with 74 saves.

In 2024, while the 3.14 ERA for Holmes was solid, he led the league in blown saves and consistently came up small in the big moments for New York.

Now moving into a starting role with the Mets, the pressure only increases. Yankees fans will be sure to track his progress and see how he handles the transition for their adversary.