Former Slocomb High School standout Clay Holmes is leaving the New York Yankees as an MLB free agent for the New York Mets.

Holmes and the Mets have reached agreement on a three-year, $38 million contract, the New York Post and ESPN reported on Friday night.

Indications are the Mets plan to try Holmes as a starter even though his past 300 Major League appearances have come in relief. Closer Edwin Diaz remains under contract with the Mets for the 2025 season, when he’s scheduled to make $17.5 million.

In the 2023 season, Holmes posted a 3-5 record, 3.14 earned-run average and 30 saves for the Yankees. A strong first half earned Holmes his second selection for the American League team for the MLB All-Star Game. But as he collected a league-worst 13 blown saves, he was replaced as the Yankees’ closer.

Holmes continued to pitch in high-leverage situations, though, just not at the end of games. In the postseason, Holmes pitched in 13 games with a 3-1 record and 2.25 ERA.

In his final two seasons at Slocomb, Holmes struck out 210 in 144.3 innings. He had planned to play at Auburn, but after drafting Holmes in the ninth round in 2011, the Pittsburgh Pirates were determined to sign him. Pittsburgh needed a $1.2 million signing bonus to keep Holmes from going to Auburn. Before Pittsburgh’s deal with Holmes, the biggest signing bonus for a ninth-round pick had been $750,000.

Holmes reached the Major Leagues in 2018. When the Pirates traded Holmes to the Yankees in exchange for two minor-leaguers during the 2021 season, the 6-foot-5 right-hander had a 5-7 record with a 5.57 earned-run average and no saves in 91 MLB appearances, including four starts.

With the Yankees, Holmes mastered a sinker that made him one of the most reliable groundball pitchers in the big leagues. In 220 regular-season games with the Yankees, Holmes posted a 19-15 record with a 2.69 ERA and 74 saves. In 217.2 innings, he struck out 238 and yielded 174 hits and 69 walks.

In 19 playoff games, Holmes has a 3-1 record with a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.