The New York Yankees had depth and balance in their pitching department in the previous season. But the NY side had to sacrifice a lot of their pitching resources due to the need of the hour back when the offseason started. After the 2023 season, the Bronx Bombers were in deep trouble with their roster and the future of the team. Moreover, they failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2016. On top of that, the NY side finished with an awful 82-80 season in 2023. They had the second-worst batting average after the Oakland Athletics. Hence, the Yankees were keen to bring reinforcements for their offense and the outfield.
As a result, they traded a lot of pitchers and catchers to sign big names like Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo, along with Trent Grisham. Later, to prevent the roster from the worsening pitching situation, the front office added Marcus Stroman for a two-year deal worth $37 million. Now, the roster looks good enough to contend for the World Series race. However, there can be a concern for the future of an All-Star pitcher. After all, the Yankees have not yet mentioned anything to Clay Holmes about a contract extension.
Clay Holmes Entering His Walk Season Without Confirming His Future With The NY Side
Recently, Joel Sherman from The New York Post mentioned that Brian Cashman has not initiated any conversation about any extension with the All-Star pitcher yet. But Clay Holmes is about to enter his walk season. However, Sherman mentioned he understands why the Yankees have not done that yet. When the Yankees traded for Clay Holmes from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021, he had a 5.57 ERA. That’s what the franchise does best, as per Sherman. The Yankees are good in terms of finding impressive talents and maximizing their skills. Sherman said the Bronx Bombers are pretty good at identifying the distressed relief hurlers.
They have maximized on the skills of Clay Holmes. And they would like to do that to his inexpensive closer successor. Even Holmes recently told the media, including The New York Post, that he is not thinking about the contract negotiations right now. After a long time, the Yankees look like a contender for the World Series. And Holmes just wants to focus on doing his best to help the team win the championship. The Yankees should remember that Holmes like Wandy Peralta, loves being a Yankee and is very comfortable in the clubhouse.
When Can Yankees Sign An Extension With Holmes?
At the end of the upcoming season, Clay Holmes will become a free agent. He is 30 years old right now. If the last season’s bullpen of the NY side was successful, then a lot of credit goes to the All-Star closer. In 2023, the Yankees had a 3.34 ERA. They were the best bullpen last year. Holmes had a 2.86 ERA. In 63 innings, he pitched 71 to 23 in the case of strikeout to walk ratio.
Moreover, the righty closer also had 24 saves. He earned his only All-Star selection as a member of the Bronx Bombers in 2022. Hence, a deal between the Yankees and Holmes in the future would make sense. If the reliever can have a strong season this year as well, it won’t be surprising to see the NY side extend his deal.
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