As the saying goes, imitation is the highest form of flattery, and the Braves’ division foe in New York is attempting to mimic Atlanta’s success with Reynaldo Lopez, with the Mets signing Clay Holmes.
Last summer, Alex Anthopoulos signed Lopez, a high-leverage reliever, to a three-year, $30 million contract, surprising everyone by announcing that Lopez would be stretched out as a starter.
It could not have gone better. The veteran made his first All-Star game and finished with an ERA of less than 2.00. If he had made more starts, Lopez would have received Cy Young votes.
Clubs are now aggressively attempting to convert relievers into starters. The Braves have established a precedent, and the Mets will attempt to duplicate what their opponents have accomplished.
The soon-to-be 32-year-old Holmes had a 3.14 ERA (131 ERA+) and 3.02 FIP in 63 innings for the Yankees last year, and despite losing his status as the team’s closer, he recorded a career-high 30 saves.
The main difference between Reynaldo Lopez and Clay Holmes is that the former has started games before. Holmes began his career in the minors as a starter and made four major league starts in 2018, but he has made none since.
At the very least, the Mets acquired a high-leverage bullpen arm, akin to what the Braves expected when they signed Lopez as a free agent last winter. Fatigue is an intriguing factor in teams experimenting with converting relievers into starters.
Lopez spent time on the IL, and it’s reasonable to wonder if he’ll be more prepared in his second season with the Braves. With Clay Holmes, I’ll be waiting to see how the grind of a season affects his arm if the Mets experiment with him in the rotation.
