Mets make promise to Clay Holmes as he gets head start on $38 million role change

Clay Holmes is entering unfamiliar territory this spring, swapping Tampa for Port St.Lucie and the reliever life for a starting role. So one of the more intriguing members of the Mets rotation arrived at their spring training complex over a week ago — with pitchers and catchers not required to report until Feb.

12 — to get a head start on his buildup. The former Yankees closer, who signed with the Mets on a three-year, $38 million contract last month, is encouraged by how the transition to becoming a starter has gone so far. “It’s not like I’m having to necessarily change who I am as a pitcher,” Holmes said Saturday at the Mets fan fest at Citi Field.“It’s like, you do these things, and there’s a lot of belief there that a lot of good can come from being a starting pitcher.” The Mets are banking on that being the case with Holmes part of a rotation that has plenty of upside — without a true ace — but a fair amount of risk as well.

They re-signed Sean Manaea, coming off a career year, to anchor the group and hope to have potential ace Kodai Senga coming back healthy after an injury-marred 2024.Along with Holmes, the Mets signed Frankie Montas — another ex-Yankee who has been effective when not battling injuries — with David Peterson, Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn and Tylor Megill also expected to be in the mix. “We like not only the top of our rotation, but we like our depth,” manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday. Holmes, who has only started four games in the majors (all coming as a rookie in 2018 with the Pirates), is one of the arms that could help elevate the group.

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