Sometimes national insiders or content creators throw out wild ideas that don’t actually make sense for the teams they are mock GMing for. But in this case, I think Mark Feinsand nailed his suggestion for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Over on MLB.com, Feinsand identified one free agent for each club that he felt “made sense” for them this offseason. No, Feinsand did not officially connect the Cardinals to this free agent, but Feinsand’s suggestion made a ton of sense regarding the direction in which the Cardinals are heading.
Feinsand suggested that the Cardinals target right-handed reliever Clay Holmes in free agency, who has been a reliable late-inning reliever for the New York Yankees for a number of years now. Feinsand highlighted how the Cardinals are likely to trade Ryan Helsley and lose Andrew Kittredge in free agency this offseason, leaving a bit of a gap at the back of their bullpen.
Honestly, the exercise Feinsand was undergoing was a difficult task for a team like the Cardinals. The club is openly posturing itself as a quiet team this offseason, with the “biggest” moves they’ll be considering “sellers” moves with trading Helsley or Nolan Arenado. Still, Holmes really does make sense for the club.
John Mozeliak has made it pretty clear that he does not want to tank in his final year of running the show for St. Louis. Is winning the number one priority in 2025? No. But they’d certainly like to surprise some people with the quality of baseball they play, and if they are going to do so while trading a Helsley and not bringing back Kittredge, then a closer like Holmes would help them out a ton.
Holmes appeared in 67 games for the Yankees this year, posting a 3.14 ERA and 3.02 FIP over those 63 innings of work. Holmes throws hard and is masterful at inducing ground balls (64.6%) while also well above average at striking batters out. Honestly, it really fits what the Cardinals’ like in their pitchers.
Since 2021, Holmes has a 3.05 ERA, so the track record is there. He’s not one of the biggest name relievers in the game, but he’s certainly pitched like one of the best in the league during that stretch.
Now, for all of the reasons the Cardinals would love to have him, many other clubs likely will as well, and he’ll likely fetch a lucrative multi-year deal as a result. MLB Trade Rumors projected him to receive three years and $30 million on the open market, which isn’t a cheap deal for a reliever. Depending on how aggressive teams are in the trade market for names like Helsley, Devin Williams, Ryan Pressly, and other arms who may be available, Holmes may be one of the most sought-after names in the reliever market.
Still, there are scenarios where contenders fill some of their closer roles with other names, and Holmes may be left with the choice to latch onto a contender in a different late-inning role or sign with a middle-tier team like the Cardinals to close down games.
The other side of this too is that if the Cardinals do struggle in 2025 but Holmes is his usual self, they’d likely be able to move him for a good return at the deadline. If the Cardinals do contend, then Holmes would likely be a big part of that. And if the contract doesn’t work out, it is not a move that would prevent them from having success in their true window of contention in 2026 and beyond.
Holmes doesn’t feel like a likely signing to me, but I really like the suggestion from Feinsand. Here’s to hoping it could manifest itself as the offseason continues.
