White Sox Eye Mets Starting Pitcher at MLB Trade Deadline
The Chicago White Sox are keeping tabs on Clay Holmes as they look to strengthen their starting rotation for a playoff push.
Video Transcript
Sam Phelan here with the White Sox Roundtable.
We know the White Sox are gonna look to add pitching at the upcoming trade deadline, trying to see who they can get for the best price possible because the White Sox wanna add to their rotation, they wanna add to the bullpen, but they don't wanna jeopardize their future too much for a push to go all in this year and that is the line that Chris Getz and Chicago's front office are having to tow.
It's going to be a difficult one.
But as we get closer to the deadline, just a couple of weeks out now, Chicago does seem to be narrowing in on a few targets.
The most recent one, according to the notes from Bob Nightingale in USA Today, the White Sox are looking at Clay Holmes of the New York Mets.
They sent Nick Hostetler, the special assistant to the general manager, to keep tabs on Holmes while he begins his rehab assignment with a fractured right fibula.
Holmes signed with the Mets three-year, thirty-eight million dollar deal before twenty twenty-five, made that transition from the closer of the Yankees to a member of the Mets starting rotation and when he's been on the mound, he's delivered.
In twenty twenty-five, Holmes had a twelve and eight record with a three five three ERA over a hundred and sixty-five innings pitched.
He then added a changeup to his arsenal.
He, threw it sixteen percent of the time in twenty twenty-five.
He dialed down his arm angle to throw a little bit lower to the ground by five to eight degrees.
He altered his sinker usage, made some changes, and yeah, the strikeout numbers went down, but Holmes proved he was a capable starting pitcher who was in the ninety-fourth percentile in ground ball rate last season.
Twenty twenty-six has been just as successful.
He made nine starts to begin the year, posting a two thirty-nine ERA over fifty-two and two-thirds innings.
The month of May was really strong and then Holmes was placed on the injured list with a right fibula fracture.
He has not pitched in the majors since mid-May and was recently sent on a rehab assignment to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the High A affiliate of the Mets.
Holmes did not pitch in his first rehab assignment.
Instead, he threw a live batting press-- ba- batting practice session, with some preparation that inclement weather could cancel the game, wanting to get his work in regardless.
But the White Sox are making the effort to send Nick Hostetler out there to take a look at Clay Holmes, see if he's healthy, get a look at the player and see is this a good addition the White Sox wanna make.
It's a tougher fit because he is a rental a- and I think the price might get a little sketchy here.
The White Sox might not want to offload high-end prospects for a player who, has just one year remaining on his contract after twenty twenty-six, and it's a player option, which is unlikely to be picked up.
So you could have Holmes just for the rest of this year, and the White Sox might be looking on the cheaper side to get that done.
So I don't know if the price is going to match up with what Chicago wants to pay, but I do think the player is a good fit.
A thrir- thirty-three-year-old, a right-handed arm, pretty reliable guy who gets deep into games.
You pair him with Davis Martin, Sean Burke, you have three starting pitchers that you feel pretty decent about in a playoff series now, and I ultimately think that's what the White Sox are gonna be looking for at the deadline.
So makes a lot of sense that Holmes is on their radar, but for all the reasons that he makes sense for the White Sox, they might be too skeptical to really give up the prospect capital necessary to get this done.
But definitely one to monitor as Clay Holmes gets back healthy and as the trade deadline closes in.
