The New York Yankees will have one thing in mind when the season concludes: retaining Juan Soto is the top priority. Undoubtedly, Soto will likely receive one of the richest contracts in the history of baseball, given his youth and trajectory to become one of the best players to play the game.
Juan Soto’s contract could spell the end of Clay Holmes’ Yankees tenure
However, bringing back Juan Soto would also mean letting a few pieces walk when they hit free agency. Yankees’ All-Star closer Clay Holmes is one of those players that could end up leaving in the winter, as he is set to be a free agent after this season.
The New York Post’s Mark W. Sanchez explained that the reason it will be difficult to bring back both Soto and Holmes is because of owner Hal Steinbrenner’s preposition that he will need to cut payroll this offseason.
“If Soto is retained, the club would likely have little to spend elsewhere: Hal Steinbrenner has said the Yankees’ 2024 payroll, which will exceed $300 million, is ‘simply not sustainable.’,” Sanchez wrote.
Soto has been phenomenal in his first season in pinstripes; Holmes has struggled of late
Soto has been as advertised – if not better than advertised – in his first season with the Yankees. He is hitting .305 with 28 home runs and 79 RBI entering play on Saturday. His 1.015 OPS is second in MLB behind his teammate and MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge, and he has more walks (93) than strikeouts (80). Deservingly, he will receive a massive contract in free agency, whether it’s from the Yankees or a different team, but New York must try to bring him back, considering they traded a haul of prospects to pair Judge with another superstar.
Holmes, meanwhile, has had a shaky last two seasons despite making the All-Star team twice since 2022. Since June 13, Holmes is pitching to a 5.19 ERA and has blown six saves in 11 opportunities, and he leads all of baseball in blown saves on the season with nine.
When the Yankees acquired him in 2021, he quickly became a gem in the bullpen and took over the closer role after Aroldis Chapman struggled. He was better than anyone could have predicted, but the conversation around Holmes has now been whether or not he should continue closing games for New York, considering his lack of strikeout stuff, an issue that has plagued their bullpen all season.
The Yankees priorities should be on bringing back Soto and winning a title this season
It would be egregious for the Yankees to offer Soto a smaller contract in order to try to bring Holmes back, as it is significantly easier to replace a relief pitcher than it would be to replace a generational talent like Soto. Considering Holmes’ struggles as a closer, it may be in their best interest to explore other options for the closer role this upcoming offseason. Tommy Kahnle and Johnathan Loaisiga are set to hit free agency as well, so the bullpen could look drastically different next season.
As for how Holmes himself is dealing with his upcoming free agency, he said his focus remains on competing for a World Series title this season.
- Yankees have acquired 6 projected starters post-Juan Soto departure
- Yankees eyeing All-Star upside from injury-prone relief arm
- Yankees could clear almost $20 million to spend with one trade
“We go and win the World Series, have the same team, go and do the same thing again next year,” Holmes said via The New York Post. “As players, it’s what we’re focused on.”
The Yankees have some time before they need to make a decision on Holmes, and how he performs down the final stretch and in the playoffs could determine his future with the organization. For now, the priorities will be set on this season.