Cubs Rumors: Clay Holmes reunion could be derailed by another of his former teams

Clay Holmes' stint with the Chicago Cubs was more good than bad, with his overall numbers really taking a hit from two September clunkers where he allowed a combined 14 runs. The fact that he didn't even pitch in the playoffs after Jed Hoyer came off a top-100 prospect to acquire him will bother me for years to come, but that's not a factor when looking ahead to the offseason.

Nearly as soon as the Cubs' season ended, Holmes was singled out as a top candidate to re-sign with the team given his heavy ground ball tendencies and Chicago's elite defensive unit. Nobody seemed too concerned with his late-season fade, including president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.

“In so many ways, Clay fits our team really well,” Hoyer said. “He puts the ball on the ground. Even with us, it was a high-60s ground-ball percentage. We convert the most groundballs into outs. We thought it was a perfect fit. He had some really good starts in August. He had a nice run in August for a while. He sort of tailed off.”

Cubs, Mets among teams expected to pursue Clay Holmes in free agency

Spotrac views Holmes' value (assuming he declines his player option, which he almost certainly will) at two years, $27 million. I think that's about right but, given the competition for starting pitching and the increased pace we could see teams moving at ahead of the anticipated Dec. 2 lockout, I wouldn't be shocked to see him get a third year on that.

Even if the Cubs are comfortable with those terms, it's no foregone conclusion he'll return to Wrigley Field in 2027. A new report from SNY says Holmes is open to returning to the Mets this winter - the first of many suitors I'm sure will be vying for the right-hander's services.

The Mets are viewed as a leading contender to sign Tarik Skubal, but if they miss on the two-time Cy Young winner, Holmes could be a viable fallback option. Given Steve Cohen's deep pockets, signing both pitchers isn't out of the realm of possibility given New York's pitching struggles this season.

As for the Cubs, Hoyer can't afford to run the same 'wait-and-see' playbook he's run back every offseason. Teams are going to look to get ahead of the lockout and lock up big names before uncertainty settles in and action grinds to a halt. Hitting December without major additions to the staff, be it Holmes or someone else, would be viewed as a big misstep from this front office.

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