Clay Holmes Reportedly Has A Suitor — What Return Should the Mets Target for Their Injured Starter?

Clay Holmes is working his way back to the major leagues, but not necessarily the New York Mets, after being out for two months with a leg fracture. In other words, it's officially trade season for the veteran right-hander.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported over the weekend that the Chicago White Sox are “keeping taps (sic)” on Holmes with his rehab beginning this past weekend and the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline now two weeks away. Special assistant Nick Hostetler has been assigned to monitor Holmes, according to the report.

The White Sox make a lot of sense as a suitor. They’re surprise leaders in the American League Central, but their rotation needs help for the stretch run. The $4 million-plus that Holmes will be owed for the final third of the season would be a worthwhile investment, even if it might give penurious team owner Jerry Reinsdorf heartburn.

The White Sox’s top four starters entering Monday were Davis Martin, 29; Sean Burke, 26; former Met Anthony Kay, 31; and rookie Noah Schultz, 22. The “No. 5 starter” was Erick Fedde, 33. who has become almost exclusively a bulk reliever who follows an opener. Speaking of openers, the Sox have used 19 of them this season, essentially a full rotation spot’s worth through 98 games.

And while some of the group’s individual ERAs look strong, one collective stat is misleading. The White Sox are second in the majors in fewest runs allowed by starting pitchers, behind only the Milwaukee Brewers, but the starters (which includes all the openers) have thrown the fewest innings. The starters' overall ERA is 4.21, 14th in baseball.

Holmes, 33, has averaged 5.85 innings per start this year for the Mets, including his abbreviated outing May 15 when a comebacker by the Yankees’ Spencer Jones broke his right fibula. He has a 2.39 ERA/3.21 FIP in nine starts. With those numbers, he could slot behind Martin at No. 2 in Chicago’s rotation.

Now that it’s out there that the White Sox are on the Holmes trail, what could they reasonably offer in a deadline trade?

What Framework Will the Mets Seek In A Clay Holmes-White Sox Trade?

Overpaying with a top-five prospect doesn’t make sense for the White Sox. First of all, they're still looking to the future after getting into contention a year “early.” Secondly, Holmes may not be at 100 percent when he returns. And lastly, because he's expected to decline his $12 million player option for 2027, he'll more than likely be a pure rental.

But if you look at the next tier of Pale Hose prospects, there’s one player who catches the eye: No. 9 William Bergolla Jr.

The 21-year-old Bergolla has an offensive profile that screams “BREWERS EAST,” also known as team president David Stearns’ Platonic ideal. He’s elite at making contact, he’s fast, and he’s a willing bunter. He also has one home run in five professional seasons. In 10 games with Triple-A Charlotte this year, he has slashed .457/.525/.571 with two stolen bases and four strikeouts in 43 plate appearances. He has been out since April 9 after suffering a shin bruise in a collision with outfielder Sam Antonacci, but he’s running and hitting now, so a summer return appears likely.

Bergolla has a baseball pedigree, too: His father, William, made it to the majors as a middle infielder with the Cincinnati Reds in 2005. Bergolla the son also plays up the middle. The majority of his work has been at shortstop, but he also has 109 games of experience at second base. The White Sox’s middle infield looks set long term with slugger Colson Montgomery at short and contact-heavy Chase Meidroth at second. Miguel Vargas is holding down third base, so a position change is not practical for anyone.

New York’s middle infield isn’t open, either but that could change in the near future. Catch-up reps at Triple-A Syracuse in 2027, followed by a stint backing up Marcus Semien and Francisco Lindor, would have Bergolla in position to be a starter if/when the Mets move on from Semien or, though unlikely, Lindor.

Recall that Stearns did business with White Sox general manager Chris Getz last January. The roles were reversed then. Getz wanted to move center fielder Luis Robert Jr., a player Stearns had been pursuing for a while. Eventually, Stearns agreed to take on all of Robert’s $20 million salary for 2026 (and his 2027 club option) in exchange for utility player Luisangel Acuña, who no longer had a role in New York, plus minor-league pitcher Truman Pauley. Robert has been out since April with a back injury, while Acuña has become a speed merchant off the bench for the Sox.

A deadline trade of Holmes for a middling prospect would be another short-term win for Chicago. For the Mets, Bergolla could turn into a better Acuña.