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The New York Mets signed Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes to be part of their rotation this season. Montas ended up being a disastrous addition, but Holmes found some success in his first full season as a starter. Holmes signed a three-year, $38 million deal in free agency. He was a two-time All-Star closer with the New York Yankees. He had a 3.53 ERA in 31 starts. He did make two relief outings toward the end of the year. Holmes was a solid addition, but the Mets ended up relying on him more than they likely envisioned. The Mets’ starting rotation battled injuries all year, pushing Holmes up in the rotation. The Mets could look to make big pitching changes next season, and potentially completely change the starting rotation from the start of this season. Bleach Report’s Kerry Miller suggested the Mets could trade Holmes to the Athletics. NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 16: Clay Holmes #35 of the New York Mets reacts after giving up a solo home run to Jake Cronenworth #9 of the San Diego Padres during the second inning at Citi Field on September 16, 2025 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) “If you just take out that disastrous stretch from May 6 through June 4 in which the A’s lost 24 out of 27 games, they actually had a solid season, going 34-24 from July 24 onward,” wrote Miller. “They need to improve the rotation if they want to contend in 2026, though, and doing so via a $200 million signing isn’t exactly the John Fisher way, to put it lightly. But if the Mets beef up their rotation, they might be willing to part with Holmes, whose exceptionally low career rate of home runs allowed would come in handy at Sutter Health Park.” The A’s may actually be a surprising team next season. Young players like Lawrence Butler, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom are all under club control for years to come and could look to be competitive next year. The team will need starting pitching, and Holmes is an affordable option if the Mets are willing to trade him after just one season. More MLB: Phillies Trade Idea Cuts Ties With 3 Stars for Tarik Skubal
