The Yankees gave up two minor leaguers to boost their bullpen with righty groundball specialist Clay Holmes
The New York Yankees have acquired right-handed reliever Clay Holmes from the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league infielders Hoy Park and Diego Castillo.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the deal between both teams, who also did business last offseason when the Yankees traded for pitcher Jameson Taillon.
The New York Yankees acquired right-hander Clay Holmes from the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielders Hoy Park and Diego Castillo.
Holmes, a right-hander, has thrown 42 innings this season and has a 4.93 ERA. He is 28 and is eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 26, 2021
If that ERA seems high, it certainly is. A 4.93 ERA is always scary when trading for an arm to help an overused bullpen.
Yet, Clay Holmes also owns a groundball rate (GB%) of 72.8% and throws a 99 mph sinker. His struggles in 2021 can be attributed to issuing 5.36 BB/9 and a .283 BABIP. He gives up 28.4% soft contact, so groundballs sneaking through the infield could be a bug-a-boo for him.
It’s also worth noting that the Pirates seem to be constantly tanking, aka not putting a good portion of their players in a position to succeed.
New York could thus prove to be a solid change of scenery for Clay Holmes.
