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The New York Yankees bullpen was up and down in the 2024 campaign. At points throughout the season, it was elite. In other parts, the Yankees bullpen couldn’t get outs at the level it needed to. Clay Holmes‘ struggles had much to do with that, resulting in him losing his closer role.
Holmes pitching as poorly as he did certainly didn’t help the ball club or himself, as he’s on the free agency market this winter. Pitching in New York in a free agency year isn’t easy, and Holmes found that out the hard way.
While it wasn’t pretty, the right-hander has above-average stuff and will definitely find a new team this winter. Andy McCullough of The Athletic predicted his new squad would be the Kansas City Royals, an intriguing American League team that made the playoffs last season and has a bright future.
“The addition of Jonathan India fulfilled the team’s desire for a leadoff hitter and likely foreclosed on a serious pursuit of a more expensive second baseman who can bat leadoff: Gleyber Torres,” McCullough wrote on November 29. “Going after Holmes, a quality reliever who buckled beneath the weight of closing for the Yankees, could be a worthwhile investment.
“Holmes still generated whiffs and missed barrels in 2024 even while blowing saves. His arsenal would deepen the Royals bullpen and offer more high-leverage options for manager Matt Quatraro.”
Holmes’ Sounded Willing to Move Off Closer Role
Losing their role often hurts closers’ confidence and adds frustration to their struggles. Holmes might’ve felt that way on the inside, but he didn’t make it known.
The New York Yankees made the right decision by making Luke Weaver close games, and Holmes seemed to have understood that. Despite the decision, the right-hander held confidence in his stuff, which is fair, given how dominant he can be at his best.
“My confidence, my identity, who I am and what I can do is not really tied into some title that’s given to me,” Holmes said in October, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “Obviously it’s an honor and a great thing, but knowing who I am, knowing what I’m capable of and the pitcher I can be — the person I am — those things weren’t stripped away.”
When the ex-Yankees reliever is at the top of his game, his sinker plays at an elite level. Holmes will continue to have that in his arsenal, a pitch that should intrigue teams like the Kansas City Royals.
“I knew the things I needed to do to be successful, to help this team be the most successful that we can,” Holmes said. “For me, it was just refocusing on those things and getting back to being my best. When I’m at my best, my sinker is really good. I made it a point to figure that out and start throwing that more. It’s been there, and I’m starting to have some success with that again.”
Holmes’ Contract Prediction
Unless Holmes lands a deal below $5 million AAV, the New York Yankees don’t have a reason to bring him back. From the sound of things, that won’t be the case.
Holmes didn’t have the ending he wanted with the Yankees, but he was still an All-Star in 2024 and has proven his worth. Spotrac expects him to get compensated for that, giving him a market value of $54.9 million over four years.