NY Mets can’t possibly think struggling Yankees pitcher is their next Clay Holmes

Weeks before he was struggling to get through an inning in the playoffs, New York Yankees reliever Luke Weaver was a candidate to go into this offseason with a bold goal in mind. Following in the same footsteps as New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes, he was going to revert back to being a starter again.

Much like Holmes, the welcome is wearing out in the Bronx as a high-leverage reliever. If you’ve shut off your television since the MLB playoffs began, you might have missed how Weaver has recorded just one out in 3 appearances while allowing 5 earned runs.

If there was any thought of repeating the Clay Holmes success with Luke Weaver, the Mets need to think again

Weaver was cruising along nicely this year until a bad September began to raise some doubts. He went into the final month with a 2.60 ERA. Two horrific outings in the middle of the month put his season ERA into a new stratosphere where it eventually fell to a decent 3.62. It’s not bad. It’s also not all that great.

The postseason is where Weaver has flamed out the most. A blown save and a loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the Wild Card round had fans doubting his role with the team. The Yankees managed to squeeze past Boston, but the scars Weaver created aren’t healing anytime soon. Aaron Boone has been forced to use him versus just 3 batters in two of his appearances. He managed to retire the one batter he faced on Sunday on the one pitch he threw. Some words of wisdom about a blind squirrel or a broken clock would apply here.

As risk-taking as the Mets have been under Stearns, repeating the same plan with Weaver that they implemented with Holmes might’ve been one too many. Of course, this didn’t stop him in the past. He did the same exact thing last offseason as he did the prior one when he signed several injury prone or less-than-perfect arms to fill out the rotation. Frankie Montas was a cross between both.

Weaver hasn’t started a game since 2023. It’s a much shorter layoff than it was for Holmes. However, the shorter distance doesn’t necessarily mean anything good or bad. Holmes had a similar 3.53 ERA for the Mets this past season, but as a starter it’s a lot more appealing than Weaver’s number coming from a reliever. He most definitely can start in the big leagues again and while the idea of doing it all over again with him might’ve crossed Stearns’ mind, the tumble he has taken in the playoffs should have the Mets eliminating him entirely from their offseason wishlist; both as a starter and reliever.

Going from a bullpen role back to the rotation has become a yearly tradition for several pitchers. The results have been mixed. Jordan Hicks is an example of someone who pitched his way out of being a starter and then struggled when he continued in relief. Reynaldo Lopez pitched to a 1.99 ERA for the Atlanta Braves as a starter in 2024. He appeared in only 1 game in 2025 due to injury. Then there’s Seth Lugo who left the Mets to become a starter. He was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2024.

The Mets don’t have to call it quits on Holmes as a starter. What they absolutely cannot do is believe it’s a trick worth repeating with Weaver. In fact, Weaver isn't even someone to think about at all. If Ryne Stanek was able to convince the Mets to re-sign him after a bad regular season and strong postseason, they should hold true by negating any idea of Weaver after the way he has pitched in the playoffs.