The Mets’ sudden slide into seller mode could hand the Cubs a clean fit at the trade deadline, and Clay Holmes is the name to watch.
New York entered Wednesday buried in last place in the National League East at 43-59, all while carrying a $366 million payroll. That kind of season leaves very few players truly off-limits, and the Mets now look like one of the clearest teams headed toward a sell-off before the Aug. 3 deadline. For Chicago, that opens the door to a pitcher who checks a lot of the boxes Jed Hoyer has tended to value.
Holmes, 33, had previously been linked to the idea of an extension with the Mets, but the latest reporting points in a different direction: a trade now looks like the more likely outcome. That makes him a name worth circling for the Cubs, especially given the type of arm he is when healthy.
Before landing on the injured list in mid-May with a fractured fibula, Holmes was working through a strong start to his Mets tenure. In nine starts, he posted a 2.39 ERA, 3.22 FIP and 1.101 WHIP. He also fits the profile Chicago has chased in recent years: a pitcher who can move the needle, even if he isn’t currently at full strength.
The injury is the key variable here. Holmes is expected to make a rehab start soon, and that outing could shape how much interest he generates on the market.
If he looks sharp, the Mets may have a better sense of what kind of return they can demand. If not, the picture gets murkier.
There’s also the contract situation to consider. Holmes has a $12 million player option for next season and is in the final year of the two-year, $24 million deal he signed with New York before the 2025 season. The Mets are not expected to pay down money in a trade, which would leave the Cubs responsible for a prorated portion of his $13 million salary for 2026.
That price point matters, because Holmes would not have to be the only move if Chicago goes this route. If he becomes Hoyer’s target, there would still be room for another addition to the rotation and/or bullpen.
For now, the setup is simple: the Mets are likely to sell, the Cubs need pitching help, and Holmes sits right in the middle of that overlap. Expect those rumors to keep building over the next week and a half, with his rehab appearances this week likely to determine just how loud they get.
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