Despite having the finest bullpen in baseball last season, the New York Yankees may lose several of their most important pitchers in the offseason. Wandy Peralta is one of the best relievers in New York, but he is a free agent and it is unclear if he will return to the Yankees.
In order to preserve continuity, it would make sense for the Yankees to sign multi-year contracts with some of their best relievers on the roster, particularly if they plan to lose several relievers this offseason.
Closer Clay Holmes is one of New York’s best arms in the bullpen right now. After spending the last two or more seasons in New York, the 30-year-old has made significant progress and was even nominated for an All-Star team in 2022.
Holmes will be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season but the New York Post’s Joel Sherman suggested a multi-year extension could make sense for New York. “But for a level of continuity and certainty (or as certain as you get with bullpen arms), might it be worthwhile for the Yankees to find a way to keep Holmes beyond 2024? Maybe they have tried.
Maybe they will try more in spring training…I wonder if the right comp is Reynaldo Lopez. It is imperfect because Lopez was a free agent after his age-29 season and Holmes will not be a free agent until after his age-31 season, but Lopez was signed for three years at $30 million by the Braves with the idea he would try to start again, which he last did full-time during the 2020 pandemic season…
The Yankees can, however, also benefit from Holmes’ assurance for the future. Although he occasionally loses control of his sinker, Holmes has demonstrated that he can handle New York in the late innings.
Is it possible for the parties to reach a settlement whereby Holmes’s $6 million seasonally owed is added to three further years at $30 million, emulating Lopez’s accord to reach a four-year, $36 million agreement? Once more, I believe Holmes could accomplish better than that if he pitches like he has in his two plus Yankees seasons. However, that will be after about 60 appearances.”
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