Mets' Clay Holmes Predicted To Be Dealt To Cubs

The New York Mets trade deadline fire sale is underway after left-handed reliever A.J. Minter was dealt to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, and more players will be on the move in the near future.

Minter was able to round up two prospects for the Mets, and with at least five other pitchers generating interest and several right-handed bats available, New York should be able to cash in on what’s a disappointing season by revamping the depleted farm system.

Right-handed starter Freddy Peralta, who is drawing a ton of interest from contenders seeking rotation help, was scratched from his start Friday night and the expectation is that he will be on the move very soon.

Another Mets starter is expected to be dealt as well, especially after a strong showing in nine starts before getting injured on a comebacker. Right-hander Clay Holmes is working his way back from a fractured fibula and should be ready to pitch in the big leagues again in the next couple of weeks.

Holmes has picked up a lot of steam on the trade market, as the 33-year-old is 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 52.2 innings this season. He is likely to opt out of his deal in the offseason to test free agency after transforming himself into an elite starter, making it easier for New York to part ways with him now and get something in return.

ESPN’s David Schoenfield made 10 trade deadline predictions and predicted that the Mets will trade Holmes to the Chicago Cubs.

“The Cubs can only imagine where they'd be with a healthy pitching staff, as Cade Horton, Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera are all on the IL (not to mention a slew of relievers as well),” Schoenfield wrote Friday.

“Holmes comes with his own health risk since he has missed more than two months with a broken leg, but he has made a couple rehab starts and isn't far away from returning. He has a $12 million player option for 2027 that he's likely to turn down, so teams will view him as a rental pitcher, but that lowers the cost to obtain him.”

Holmes can step in and make a huge impact for a Cubs starting rotation that desperately needs help this year. Schoenfield believes it wouldn’t be out of the cards for Holmes to be the starter of a Game 1 in the playoffs for Chicago, and if he were to look like the guy he was before the injury, that would be a real possibility.

Considering the Cubs need leverage relievers as well, throwing in right-hander Luke Weaver and turning this into a blockbuster deal involving top prospects would certainly on the table according to Schoenfield.