By Sunday 
High-Priced Offseason Leaves Rotation with Glaring Holes
The New York Mets entered the offseason with one of the most aggressive spending sprees in baseball, highlighted by the massive signing of Juan Soto. However, as Opening Day approaches, their starting rotation is in a much different place than they had anticipated.
Instead of a powerhouse pitching staff to complement their offensive investments, the Mets are scrambling to piece together a rotation that includes Clay Holmes—who hasn’t started a game since 2018.
Clay Holmes: From Closer to Opening Day Starter
Holmes, a former Yankees closer, is now set to take the mound on Opening Day, a scenario few would have predicted even a few months ago. But Holmes isn’t shying away from the challenge.
“There’s two sides to that,” Holmes said when discussing his return to a starting role. “If you look at my whole career since I was drafted, I’ve still done a lot of starting, granted most of it in the minor leagues. It’s just working up a different routine. Did I expect this? A year ago, no.”
Despite his unexpected shift, Holmes has had an impressive spring, allowing only two earned runs and striking out 19 batters over 23 1/3 innings in five starts.
A Costly Lineup, A Bargain Rotation
While the Mets are spending big elsewhere—most notably on Soto’s $51 million salary for the season—their rotation tells a different story. The team’s five projected starters—Holmes, Tylor Megill, David Peterson, Griffin Canning, and Kodai Senga—will collectively earn $38.7 million, significantly less than Soto alone.
The discrepancy has led to questions about the team’s roster-building strategy. Owner Steve Cohen has never been afraid to spend, but the imbalance between their offensive firepower and pitching stability raises concerns about long-term success.
Injuries and Uncertainty
The Mets’ rotation issues stem largely from injuries. Sean Manaea, who was expected to be a key part of the staff, is sidelined with an oblique strain and won’t return for at least a month. Frankie Montas, another big acquisition, is dealing with a lat strain and is expected to miss the first half of the season.
Last season, New York managed to push the Dodgers to Game 6 of the NLCS despite a makeshift rotation. But this year, with the team failing to retool after losing Luis Severino and José Quintana, they’ll need their remaining arms to step up in a major way.
Holmes and the Mets’ Experiment
Holmes, who struggled as a Yankees closer last year, is now getting a fresh start as a starter. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged the unusual nature of the move but praised Holmes’ work ethic.
“No, I’m not going to sit here predicting I was going to be saying that,” Mendoza said. “But now watching him play and going about his business, he earned it.”
Holmes has built up his pitch count to 90 and is ready to embrace the challenge of longer outings.
“We’ll see how it works out,” he said.
With Opening Day looming, the Mets are taking a calculated risk by leaning on an unproven rotation. Whether their high-powered offense can offset their pitching woes remains to be seen.