After a disastrous 41-58 start to the season, the New York Mets are reportedly going into full-fledged selling mode, with almost everyone on the roster available except Juan Soto and four other core players: Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean.

And according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees are showing real interest in two available Mets arms to bolster their bullpen: ex-Yankees Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver.

Holmes reinvented himself as a starter in his Mets tenure, something nobody really saw coming when he left the Bronx as a closer. He went 12-8 with a 3.53 ERA across 33 appearances (31 starts) last season, throwing 165 2/3 innings.

This year he was even better. Through his first nine starts before being injured against the Yankees on May 15, Holmes posted a 2.39 ERA with 45 strikeouts against 18 walks over 52 2/3 innings, arguably the most reliable arm on a Mets pitching staff that has otherwise been in disarray.

But a return to the Yankees probably wouldn't put Holmes back in a rotation. New York's starting rotation featuring Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Will Warren, Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, and Ryan Weathers has been one of the best stories in MLB.

Even without Fried, the group is considerably strong. So when Fried — a 4.8 WAR pitcher last season who finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting — returns, manager Aaron Boone will have very little room to spare.

But Holmes and Weaver would actually fit in the bullpen, a group that actually needs help. David Bednar is the closer with a 2.70 ERA, but it has not always been smooth. Bednar has blown several saves, including one against the Mets in a Subway Series.

Behind him, the team has used pitchers like Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick, and Paul Blackburn. But they aren't proven and reliable enough that Holmes is.

The same goes for Weaver. The Yankees turned him into a bullpen weapon in 2024, when he posted a 2.89 ERA with 103 strikeouts over 84 innings and took over as closer down the stretch.

In that October run to the World Series, Weaver was arguably the single most important non-Judge, non-Cole piece the Yankees had: a 1.76 ERA and four saves across 15 1/3 postseason innings, including five shutout frames in the World Series itself.

The Mets Have More Than Just Pitching to Offer

Relief isn't the only spot where the Yankees could use outside help. Catcher has been a genuine trouble spot all season.

Austin Wells, the everyday catcher, has been dreadful at the plate, batting around .150 for the season. J.C. Escarra hasn't been much better in his stints filling in, hovering around a .510 OPS with almost no power.

That's where Francisco Alvarez comes in. The Mets' 24-year-old backstop is hitting right around .250 with twelve home runs this season. He's a right-handed bat with real power at a position where the Yankees have gotten almost nothing offensively all year.

Shortstop is another position drawing attention, with Anthony Volpe once again struggling to find consistency.

Francisco Lindor, by contrast, is a proven star even in a down year. He was the runner-up for NL MVP in 2024, slashing .273/.344/.500 with 33 home runs while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense.

But Heyman has reported the Yankees aren't prioritizing shortstop, and Lindor doesn't appear to be a real fit for them. Jose Caballero is seen as good enough to bridge the gap at short for now. And the Yankees reportedly have zero appetite for taking on the $170.5 million still owed to Lindor through 2031.

The real long-term plan appears to be George Lombard Jr., the organization's top prospect. Lombard is currently hitting .239 with five home runs, 16 RBI and eight stolen bases in 43 games with Triple-A.

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Written by

Md Saife Fida