Clay Holmes pitched to a batter in the batter's box Friday afternoon, the first time he saw a hitter since Spencer Jones broke his leg with a line drive in May.
The batter in the box was Marcus Semien, who is also out with injury. He did not swing at a single pitch. But through two innings' worth of pitches with a break in between, Holmes was finally on the Citi Field mound again, a signal that he is moving nearer to returning from the injured list. What is not clear as of Friday is whether he will still be a Met when he does.
Holmes told The Athletic this week that he is open to an extension, and a person familiar with the front office's thinking told SNY the Mets are open to an extension with him, too. Neither Holmes' agent nor president of baseball operations David Stearns immediately responded to inquiries about whether the two sides have had any conversations about a deal. If they are going to complete one, they should probably do so soon.
Because even though Holmes is not yet close to pitching in games – he said Friday he will likely face actual swinging batters in his next outing, and that it might have to come in Port St. Lucie because the major league staff will be off during the All-Star Break – he is one of the Mets' more appealing trade deadline ******* ets.
With an expiring contract, a strong start to the season, and a relatively fresh arm given the injury, Holmes would be an appealing top-end starter for any contending team. He could likely bring the Mets a worthwhile return, even as a rental who might not be fully built up by the deadline itself. The Blue Jays sent a top pitching prospect to the Guardians for Shane Bieber last year, even though he was not going to be healthy until late August. Top-end starting pitching is coveted in all its forms.
The batter in the box was Marcus Semien, who is also out with injury. He did not swing at a single pitch. But through two innings' worth of pitches with a break in between, Holmes was finally on the Citi Field mound again, a signal that he is moving nearer to returning from the injured list. What is not clear as of Friday is whether he will still be a Met when he does.
Holmes told The Athletic this week that he is open to an extension, and a person familiar with the front office's thinking told SNY the Mets are open to an extension with him, too. Neither Holmes' agent nor president of baseball operations David Stearns immediately responded to inquiries about whether the two sides have had any conversations about a deal. If they are going to complete one, they should probably do so soon.
Because even though Holmes is not yet close to pitching in games – he said Friday he will likely face actual swinging batters in his next outing, and that it might have to come in Port St. Lucie because the major league staff will be off during the All-Star Break – he is one of the Mets' more appealing trade deadline ******* ets.
With an expiring contract, a strong start to the season, and a relatively fresh arm given the injury, Holmes would be an appealing top-end starter for any contending team. He could likely bring the Mets a worthwhile return, even as a rental who might not be fully built up by the deadline itself. The Blue Jays sent a top pitching prospect to the Guardians for Shane Bieber last year, even though he was not going to be healthy until late August. Top-end starting pitching is coveted in all its forms.
3 months ago
