Potential Clay Holmes Reunion Could Impact Yankees in More Ways Than One

The Yankees are certainly familiar with Clay Holmes, but he's become a much different pitcher since leaving the Bronx.

May 15, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the New York Yankees search for upgrades ahead of the trade deadline next Monday, they could potentially turn to an old friend across town.

According to beat reporter Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the Yankees were one of the teams scouting the rehab assignment of New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes. Holmes, of course, previously pitched with the Bronx Bombers from 2021 to 2024, most notably serving as their closer from the middle of 2022 to September 2024.

Catcher? Bullpen? Outfielder? Who are Yankees targeting at Deadline? https://t.co/O2Tr1f9FQ7

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 30, 2026

Holmes has since transitioned to a starting pitcher upon joining the Mets, with whom he signed a three-year, $38 million contract before the 2025 season. That deal also contains an opt-out after this year, which the 33-year-old is likely to exercise. Although he previously showed interest in a contract extension with the Mets, those talks are not currently ongoing, and he is now extremely likely to be traded amid the Mets' disappointing season.

There’s no extension talk ongoing with Mets starter Clay Holmes, so presumably there will be no extension. In this sellers market, with precious few frontline starters available, this is a big trade piece. Nearly every contender scouted him in rehab game.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 30, 2026

According to Hoch, Holmes is believed to be "receptive" to a Bronx reunion. And based on the Yankees scouting his rehab game, there may be mutual interest.

How the Yankees should utilize Clay Holmes in a potential reunion

Given that the Yankees would need to negotiate with their cross-town rivals, trading for Holmes will be difficult. But if they agree to a deal, the Bronx Bombers would have the luxury of using their old friend as either a starter or reliever.

Holmes' success as a reliever with the Yankees is well documented, even if he eventually lost the closer role to Luke Weaver near the end of his tenure. The nine-year veteran earned two All-Star selections and accrued 74 saves and 4.9 fWAR in three-and-a-half seasons.

However, the Yankees would be better off using Holmes in his current form as a starting pitcher. The righty handled a starter's workload very well in 2025, tossing 161.0 frames over 31 starts while logging a 3.63 ERA and 4.17 FIP.

Although control was sometimes an issue, with 66 walks against 126 strikeouts, this was counterbalanced by Holmes' outstanding groundball rate. His "bowling ball" sinker helped him generate a 55.2% grounder rate, while he surrendered 14 home runs.

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

This year, Holmes was even better before he fractured his fibula and landed on the IL. In nine starts, he pitched 52.2 innings and yielded a 2.39 ERA and 3.22 FIP. The righty's control also saw improvement, issuing just 18 walks while punching out 45 batters.

The Yankees have four locks in the starting rotation: Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon. But Schlittler has thrown more innings than anyone could have initially envisioned, Fried is still building himself back up after an IL stint, and Rodon is currently on the IL. Having Holmes enter the rotation would provide stability as everyone returns to full health, and he'd be fantastic insurance in case Rodon has a setback or the other arms sustain an injury.

Of course, the Yankees would need to remove someone from the rotation to make room for Holmes. On the chopping block would be Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and Clarke Schmidt. All three of these arms could be traded by Monday's deadline, and whoever stays around could slot into the bullpen.

How Holmes could factor in the 2026 postseason and beyond

If the rotation is at full strength entering October, it's unlikely that the Yankees would use Holmes as a starter. Fortunately, that's where his experience as a reliever comes in. The Bronx Bombers can deploy him in high-leverage spots and get big outs, or use him as a long reliever capable of going multiple innings.

Once the 2026 season concludes, Holmes has a 2027 player option that he will almost certainly decline, regardless of what team he's on. Despite being 33 years old, his career is clearly on an upward trend, and he can contribute to a contender for the next several seasons.

Whether that is as a starter or a reliever remains to be seen, but the Yankees know what Holmes is truly capable of. Even if it proves difficult to acquire him from the Mets or bring him back in free agency, the reward should be worth it.