Although his debut with the Chicago Cubs wasn’t all that great, the team obviously has high hopes for right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes. The veteran was acquired at the trade deadline along with outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the New York Mets in a rare deal that included a top-100 prospect from the Cubs. It was an aggressive move by Jed Hoyer, and it turns out that they had some luck on their side.
Holmes was one of the most popular rental starting pitchers available at the trade deadline because, despite missing a couple of months recovering from a broken leg, he had a 2.39 ERA through his first nine starts of the 2026 season. The Mets were in discussions with multiple teams, and it turns out that the only reason the Cubs even had a chance to complete a deal for Holmes came after a trade fell apart with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Talks between the Mets and Diamondbacks were in their late stages, with Holmes set to go to Arizona, as both clubs had already agreed to a trade package. However, the Mets backed out because they had concerns over one player’s medicals.
Via the Arizona Republic.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
The Mets called off the trade due to concerns they had after reviewing medical records of a Diamondbacks prospect. The teams tried to rework the deal with different players involved but were unable to reach an agreement, sources said. As with all deals, the sides agreed on names but needed to review medicals before finalizing the trade. During the time the Diamondbacks were waiting on an answer from the Mets — this was roughly three hours before the trade deadline — other potential starting pitching targets came off the board in other trades, a source said. The Diamondbacks were left without the starting pitching upgrade they had hoped to land.
The Cubs, who had already made a deal earlier this season with the Mets, trading for David Peterson, took advantage, swooped in, and got Holmes, sending infielder prospect Jefferson Rojas to New York.
This could end up playing a major factor in October, as both the Cubs and Diamondbacks are well-positioned in the playoff picture. The Cubs are 5.5 games ahead of the Diamondbacks for the top Wild Card spot, and at this point, if the standings remained the same, both clubs would play each other in the Wild Card round, with the Cubs hosting the best-of-three series at Wrigley Field.
Holmes would most likely pitch in the Wild Card round for the Cubs, which gives them an edge, not only because he’s been a good starting pitcher since 2025, but also because of the nixed deal, it means the Cubs wouldn’t have to face Holmes in the playoffs.
On trade deadline day, Holmes’ name was also being heavily linked to the Milwaukee Brewers. That could have just been a savvy play by the Mets to make the Cubs more likely to pay more for Holmes in order to keep him away from their division rivals. Although the odds aren’t in their favor at the moment, the Cubs do have seven head-to-head games remaining against the Brewers, making a five-game deficit in the division somewhat still in play.
The Cubs are not only hoping for Holmes to be a playoff starter, but also to make a difference in the regular season as the team tries to catch the Brewers, which would pretty much guarantee a top-two seed and a bye in the National League. After throwing four innings against the Kansas City Royals this past weekend, Holmes is scheduled to make his second start with the Cubs on Friday at home against the St. Louis Cardinals.
