The White Sox have maintained a one-game lead over the Guardians for first place in the AL Central, and it looking increasingly likely that the Sox will look to build on their success by adding some help at the deadline. To this end, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that Mets starter Clay Holmes is on Chicago’s radar, as White Sox special assistant Nick Hostetler will “keep tabs” on Holmes during his minor league rehab assignment.
That rehab assignment has officially yet to get underway, as Holmes’ planned outing with high-A Brooklyn was canceled due to poor weather. According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, multiple scouts and evaluators from rival teams in attendance to see Holmes pitch, but Holmes instead threw around 45 pitches during a live bullpen session that was naturally limited to just Mets personnel.
Holmes’ fibula was fractured back on May 15 when the Yankees’ Spencer Jones drilled a line drive off Holmes’ right leg. The right-hander was able to avoid surgery, and is on track to meet the initial timeline of a return at some point in August, though when exactly Holmes will be ready is a major question looming over the Mets’ trade deadline plans. Saturday’s canceled game throws another delay into the works, and it decreases the chance that Holmes will be activated from the 60-day IL before the August 3 deadline.
This wouldn’t necessarily prevent a trade, of course, as teams may feel okay with taking the plunge on an injured Holmes if they like what they see in his rehab outings. DiComo cited the example of last summer’s trade that sent Shane Bieber from the Guardians to the Blue Jays, as Cleveland was able to land a notable pitching prospect (Khal Stephen) even though Bieber hadn’t pitched since April 2024 due to a Tommy John surgery.
The Mets should therefore be able to acquire some kind of interesting trade return, if they choose to move Holmes at all. The righty is in the second season of his three-year, $38MM contract, but he is expected to opt out of the final year of that deal and test free agency even though he has spent over two months on the IL. This effectively makes Holmes a rental player, which will limit what other teams will offer New York in trade talks. However, Holmes has said that he likes playing in Queens and is interested in discussing an extension, so the Mets are expected to explore that possibility while also fielding trade offers.
Eyebrows were raised when the Mets signed Holmes with the plan of converting him to starting pitching, but the experiment ended up being a success. Holmes posted a 3.53 ERA over 165 2/3 innings in 2025 and then a 2.39 ERA in his first 52 2/3 innings of 2026 before Jones’ fateful comebacker. Holmes’ strikeout numbers have sharply dropped as a starter, but he has continued to keep the ball on the ground (55.8% grounder rate in 2025-26) and he has allowed just 17 home runs in his time in New York.
A healthy Holmes would boost the rotation of any contender, including the upstart White Sox. Davis Martin and Sean Burke have both pitched well at the front of the rotation, while the results have been a little more mixed for Anthony Kay, Erick Fedde, and rookie Noah Schultz. The Sox are thin on experience and depth when it comes to their starting options, so the rotation and bullpen figure to be Chicago’s top target areas as the deadline approaches.
Chicago GM Chris Getz said back in early June that the team’s focus remains on the big picture in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but “we know where we are in the standings, both within the division and Wild Card, and we’re monitoring it….if there’s chances to really add to this group, we’re going to do that.” Since the Sox have kept on winning since Getz made those statements over six weeks ago, it would seem like the front office will indeed look to make some upgrades, even if a deadline buying splurge isn’t happening.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal recently wrote that the White Sox “are willing to be relatively aggressive on players under club control, but are not inclined to overpay for rentals, according to a person briefed on their plans.” Holmes doesn’t technically fit this model given the likelihood that he’ll trigger his opt-out clause, which could limit Chicago’s ability or desire to meet the Mets’ asking price. With many teams involved and the continued uncertainty over his health situation, other pitchers may be likelier trade targets for Chicago than Holmes, but that shouldn’t stop the Sox from doing their due diligence.
