As Clay Holmes continues recovery, there's the makings of a successful long-term relationship with Mets

Clay Holmes pitched to a batter in the batter’s box Friday afternoon, the first time he saw a hitter since Spencer Jones broke his leg with a line drive in May.

The batter in the box was Marcus Semien, who is also out with injury. He did not swing at a single pitch. But through two innings’ worth of pitches with a break in between, Holmes was finally on the Citi Field mound again, a signal that he is moving nearer to returning from the injured list. What is not clear as of Friday is whether he will still be a Met when he does.

Holmes told The Athletic this week that he is open to an extension, and a person familiar with the front office’s thinking told SNY the Mets are open to an extension with him, too. Neither Holmes' agent nor president of baseball operations David Stearns immediately responded to inquiries about whether the two sides have had any conversations about a deal. If they are going to complete one, they should probably do so soon.

Because even though Holmes is not yet close to pitching in games – he said Friday he will likely face actual swinging batters in his next outing, and that it might have to come in Port St. Lucie because the major league staff will be off during the All-Star Break – he is one of the Mets’ more appealing trade deadline assets.

With an expiring contract, a strong start to the season, and a relatively fresh arm given the injury, Holmes would be an appealing top-end starter for any contending team. He could likely bring the Mets a worthwhile return, even as a rental who might not be fully built up by the deadline itself. The Blue Jays sent a top pitching prospect to the Guardians for Shane Bieber last year, even though he was not going to be healthy until late August. Top-end starting pitching is coveted in all its forms.

Holmes would seemingly never have more time to dedicate to deal-making than he does right now, when he is still working his way back from injury and is therefore removed from the daily regular season grind. But Holmes said he finds his mind does not have much time to wander – though of course, few players are willing to admit contract speculation or trade deadline talks are causing them distraction.

“[Rehab] stuff grabs a lot of my attention, getting healthy and checking those boxes. I want to be healthy. I want to be helping this team win as many games as possible,” Holmes said Friday. “How long that is, I’m not totally sure. Hopefully things will work out. But a lot of that is out of my control.”

Holmes and the Mets have the makings of a successful long-term partnership. It was the Mets who stretched him into a starter, setting him up for bigger contracts in the second half of his career than he would have been able to secure as a career reliever. And Holmes has become a sturdy, well-regarded presence in their clubhouse, particularly on a pitching staff with young starters like Nolan McLean and Christian Scott who can benefit from a veteran sounding board.

Plus, as he pitched to a 2.39 ERA in his first nine starts of this season, Holmes transformed from the solid starter he was last year to one who looked like he might be elite. With his history of relieving, Holmes has fewer innings on his arm than most elite 33-year-old starters. For a Mets team that will need to improve its pitching depth in 2027, Holmes would be a familiar keystone to have in place before what seems likely to be a chaotic offseason.

Exactly when the Mets would need to decide whether to deal Holmes is unclear, though it is possible that waiting long enough for suitors to see him make a rehab start could help solidify or boost his value. The Mets, however, do not need Holmes to hurry back. They know what value he could bring to their rotation in the years to come. And after the way the last two summers have gone, they also know as well as anyone that reliable starters like Holmes can be very hard to find.