The New York Mets lost starter Clay Holmes until August, and his short- and long-term future with the Mets just shifted.
The New York Mets haven’t figured out who they’re going to use to replace starter Clay Holmes after a line drive fractured his right fibula on Friday, but they do know he’ll back in August, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic and multiple other reports.
The injury also changes the starter’s long-term future as well. Holmes has a 2.39 ERA and leads the Mets in innings pitched, according to Sammon, and he looked poised to step up and compete with Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean to be the staff ace.
Now there will be a hole in his stats this year that represents the missing time, and Holmes is 33. He currently holds a team option for $12 million for next season, and he’ll likely opt out and go to free agency. The potential lockout will shorten the negotiating window, and it could end up costing Holmes some money. But as long as Holmes comes back and shows he can pitch well, he’ll get paid.
The more compelling decision, as Sammon put it, is whether the Mets will make Holmes a qualifying offer. Holmes would likely reject it, the writer added, but at least the Mets would get a draft pick if he signs elsewhere.
The double-whammy of losing Holmes right now is that he was starting to be considered as a viable trade piece if the Mets continue to struggle. They’ve moved to within six games of .500 after taking five of their last six, but this was a team that was underperforming even before the rash of injuries started.
As for Holmes, he’s still weighing his options. Surgery isn’t necessary, but it also hasn’t been ruled out. Adding a plate to stabilize the tibia could actually help Holmes heal, according to Sammon, but the right-hander knows it’s not a good idea to rush back from this particular injury.
“A decision hasn’t been fully decided, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” Holmes said when he was asked about the surgery possibility. “It’s more so covering all your bases than seeing something that’s needed.”
As thrilling as the Mets’ comeback win was yesterday, watching Sean Manaea had to be terrifying to any Mets fan who thinks this team can still contend if he’s moved into the rotation, even temporarily. As Sammon noted, there are real questions about what kind of team Holmes does come back to when he finally returns.