3 NY Mets backup plans if Clay Holmes fails as a starting pitcher

The New York Mets signed Clay Holmes to a three-year deal, stealing him away from the crosstown rival New York Yankees. Holmes is a two-time all-star closing pitcher but has never been a starter in his Major League career. He made four sporadic starts during his first cup of Major League coffee in 2018 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but that’s the extent of his work as a starting pitcher in the bigs.

Moving a pitcher from the bullpen to the rotation is always a gamble. Sometimes, it can lead to an all-star caliber starter, like it did for Garrett Crochet or Reynaldo Lopez this past season. Other times, it can end as it did for A.J. Puk, who made four starts with the Miami Marlins in 2024 and surrendered 14 earned runs before becoming a shutdown reliever once again. The Mets should have some backup plans in place in case Holmes isn’t effective.

1) Jose Butto

Jose Butto would likely be one of the Mets’ go-to options if Holmes falters in the rotation. The right-hander finally got an extended look against Major League batters in 2024, working as a swingman-type pitcher. He made seven starts in 30 games, tossing 74 total innings. Not only did he get to pitch a decent amount of frames, but he was also an effective pitcher.

Butto worked to a 2.55 ERA, 3.83 FIP, and 1.07 WHIP. He struck out 26.9% of batters while only allowing home runs at a 0.73-per-9 rate. Butto was slightly above average at limiting hard contact. He was in the 53rd percentile of opponent exit velo (88.7 MPH) and the 52nd percentile of barrel percentage at 7.6%. But Butto struggled to limit free passes and had a 12.9% BB%.

For what it’s worth, Butto pitched very well in his seven starts. All seven came in April and May, where he had a 3.08 ERA, 4.17 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP. He had a 24.4% K% and 0.71 HR/9 but dished out walks to 13.5% of the batters he faced. Butto was optioned in mid-May but recalled in July and finished out the season in the bullpen.

The only downside is that Butto didn’t have the greatest ERA estimator numbers. He had just a 4.20 xFIP and a 4.11 SIERA. But he was still in the 73rd percentile of xERA at 3.44. Butto is only entering his age-27 season as well, so he could easily build upon the success he had in 2024.