Devin Williams and Clay Holmes Initiate their Connections with Yankees and Mets Clubs
Devin Williams and Clay Holmes Initiate their Connections with Yankees and Mets Clubs
The 2024 campaign commenced with Devin Williams recovering from a back injury and retaking his position as a formidable reliever for the Milwaukee Brewers, while Clay Holmes handled closures for the New York Yankees. However, their subsequent encounters will be with new organizations and possibly revised roles.
Both engaged in virtual meetings with their respective new teams on a Tuesday, sharing insights about their new employers. Williams was transferred to the Yankees in exchange for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin, with the latter being touted as a promising replacement for Gleyber Torres before the trade. In contrast, Holmes opted for a three-year contract with the Mets, not for the purpose of serving as Edwin Diaz's setup man but to assume a key starting position, aiming to consistently provide the team with a lead before handing over to the bullpen.
For the upcoming year, Williams will continue his tenure with the Yankees, having saved 68 games in 241 appearances spanning 235.2 innings for the Brewers. A notable milestone for him will be becoming the 46th player to secure at least one save for the Yankees since Mariano Rivera's last pitch in 2013. When he achieves this feat, his changeup will be his primary weapon, employing a two-seam grip due to alterations in its spin that Trent Grisham observed, resulting in the current "Airbender" configuration.
Opponents batted .222 against the pitch in 2019, but in the subsequent five years, that number dropped significantly to .160 (69 hits from 430 tries), with 242 strikeouts registered against it.
"It became my go-to, my out-pitch," Williams acknowledged. "I was still throwing it at 88-89 mph, and during COVID at home during live at-bats, I started to realize if I spun it more and threw it slower, I gained much more movement, and it was a superior pitch."
Following his last outing for the Brewers in Game 3 of the wild-card series, where Pete Alonso homered off him, Williams spent some time exploring New York as a tourist, eventually expecting to join the Dodgers. However, the World Series finale left him in a state of surprise, with the Dodgers utilizing Walker Buehler to close the Yankees' game and a series of pitchers producing at least one save during the regular season.
"There was a bit of shock, but it's a tremendous honor to be able to play for this organization," Williams conceded. "There's no bigger team in baseball, so I'm thrilled to be here."
As a new recruit to the Yankees since Rivera's final pitch, Williams joins a group of high-profile relievers, such as Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, who have donned the Yankees uniform since Rivera's retirement. Unlike Juan Soto, Williams is open to discussions regarding contract extensions and possibly foregoing free agency.
Approximately 45 minutes later, Holmes expressed his enthusiasm about resuming his starter's role with the Mets. His climb to the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates was fueled by his 114 starts as a starter in seven years of minor league experience. In 80 appearances, the Pirates gave him four starts in 2018, but later shifted him to the bullpen in 2019. The Yankees recognized his low trade value and acquired him as part of their significant mid-season swap in 2021. Holmes thrived with the Yankees, making 220 appearances and saving 74 games, despite experiencing some difficulties converted 13 of his first saves during the season, resulting in 13 blown saves. The most noteworthy one occurred on September 3, 2022, when Wyatt Langford hit a game-ending grand slam, and Luke Weaver assumed the closing role, pushing Holmes back to setting up.
The Yankees showed no interest in retaining Holmes, who eventually signed a deal with the Mets for a role that may raise eyebrows and one he hopes will propel him towards a new phase of success in his career rather than dwelling on missed opportunities.
"I didn't want to look back at the end of my career and think, 'What could have come from that?'" Holmes stated. "It was something deep down still held a passion for."
The change seemed imminent during the 2022 season when Holmes experimented with a fastball and a changeup in his appearances and bullpen work, respectively. These pitches are expected to complement his well-known sinker and Holmes is eager to replicate the success of Seth Lugo, Michael King, Reynaldo Lopez, and Jordan Hicks, who combined for 41 victories, 625.2 innings, and 626 strikeouts. This impressive statistic serves as an inspiration for Holmes to resume his starter's role and encourages the Mets to give it a shot.
"When you witness guys make the transition, it's definitely like, 'This is possible' and 'This is cool,'" Holmes added. "There's a sense of not feeling lost at sea, knowing how other athletes have accomplished it. It's not an exceptionally unusual scenario, but you don't feel like you're in uncharted waters."
Devin Williams' move to the Yankees brings new business opportunities, as he will have the chance to secure his place in the team's storied history of relief pitchers. Clay Holmes, meanwhile, sees a shift in sports money, as his new role with the Mets as a starter offers him a chance to significantly impact their wins and potentially earn more in salaries over the course of his contract.