Rays Among Teams Who Scouted Mets Pitcher on Rehab

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Sports

Rays Among Teams Who Scouted Mets Pitcher on Rehab

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Jul 29, 2026 10:30 AM ET

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The Tampa Bay Rays are poised to make a few moves ahead of the MLB trade deadline to solidify their place atop the American League standings.

One of the areas of their team they will be looking to upgrade is the starting rotation. While all of the attention thus far has been on Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who is potentially the biggest name who will be on the move, he is far from the only starting pitcher the Rays have been connected to.

Recently, New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, who is on an expiring deal and has about $3 million left that is owed to him, was mentioned as a target. It turns out, he isn’t the only Mets hurler the team is showing interest in.

According to Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic (subscription required), Tampa Bay had scouts watching the latest rehab start of Clay Holmes, who is recovering from a fibula fracture suffered during the Subway Series against the New York Yankees in mid-May.

Rays have scouted Clay Holmes during rehab

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“Scouts from the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks were among those who flocked to Dunedin, Fla., to evaluate Holmes,” they wrote.

It was added that two executives who watched the latest outing from Holmes said he “looked big-league ready.” Scheduled to take the mound again on Aug. 2, it will be interesting to see if that outing is in the Major Leagues with New York or another rehab outing with Single-A St. Lucie.

Holmes performed well for everyone who was in attendance watching him take the mound on July 28. He fired off four scoreless innings, needing only 59 pitches to complete his outing.

Solely a relief pitcher for six seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Yankees, it was a surprising move to see New York move him into the starting rotation. But it is a move that he has adapted to incredibly well.

Clay Holmes would be great fit for Rays

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In 42 outings with the Mets, including 40 starts, Holmes has a 3.26 ERA in 218.1 innings with 174 strikeouts, an ERA+ of 127 and 4.1 bWAR.

Signed to a three-year, $38 million contract in free agency ahead of the 2025 campaign, he can opt out of the final year and $12 million to become a free agent again this winter. With labor unrest, it will be interesting to see what decision he makes.

Should he be traded and land with the Rays, he would have a chance to showcase his talent on the biggest stage in meaningful games down the stretch and the postseason. A good performance there could prompt him to hit free agency before whatever changes are made to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Holmes would be a nice addition to the Tampa Bay rotation. He doesn’t have the upside of Skubal, but could come at a fraction of the cost.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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