Mets face important decision on Clay Holmes soon

In his first six starts of the season, Holmes is 3-2 with a 1.75 ERA, racking up a 25:11 strikeout to walk ratio in 36 innings pitched. Perhaps more importantly, the Mets are 4-2 in games Holmes has started this season compared to a 7-20 mark with anyone else on the bump.

Unfortunately for Holmes, his success hasn't translated to a better overall performance for the team. If the Mets cannot figure out a way to turn their season around, David Stearns will have to entertain uncomfortable trade decisions for some of his top performers.

While pending free agents like Freddy Peralta and A.J. Minter would be worth discussing in a potential deadline sale scenario, Holmes could also fit the bill. The big reason is due to his contract, which contains a player option for the final year of his three-year deal.

Holmes is scheduled to earn $12 million in 2027, a figure he can easily beat on the open market given how desperate teams are for starting pitching. A good comparison for what Holmes could obtain may be with Michael King's new contract in San Diego, which will net him $75 million in total but also contains opt outs after every season.

The Mets Have Options To Consider With Holmes

With an opt-out all but assured for Holmes if he continues to pitch well, the Mets have three realistic options to consider with him. Assuming the Mets are sellers at the deadline, it would be irresponsible for Stearns not to listen to offers from teams looking to improve their rotations for a playoff push.

The return on those deals would need to be very good, however, because the Mets would likely exercise the option to extend a qualifying offer to Holmes if he opts out. The compensation for a qualifying offer is a mid-round draft pick, which could set a bar for the level of prospects the Mets would need to receive in order to make a trade worth their while.

The third option would be for the Mets to consider reaching out to Holmes about a potential contract extension. Stearns has already extended one of the Mets' pending free agents in Luis Torrens, offering him fair value to bypass the open market.

Extension talks with Peralta didn't get too far in the spring, but he was reportedly seeking a longer-term deal than Stearns wanted to commit to at the moment. Holmes turned 33 in March and is unlikely to command a longer-term offer on the free agent market, so there could be a match if the Mets want to offer him a nice raise on another three-year deal.

Even though the Mets have good pitching prospects coming up in their farm system like Jonah Tong and Christian Scott, it would be a mistake to rely on an entire rotation of youngsters. Having proven veterans like Holmes makes it easier for the Mets to ease younger pitchers into the majors without the pressure of leading a staff.

Stearns is undoubtedly aware of this Holmes dilemma and will weigh his options accordingly. The Mets' play over the next month and a half will likely inform Stearns' approach towards Holmes, but there is a non-zero chance he finishes the season in a different uniform.

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