Clay Holmes praises Mets fans following trade years after polarizing Yankees exit

Clay Holmes bid the Mets farewell on social media Tuesday after being dealt to the Cubs at the trade deadline the day prior.“When I signed with the Mets, I embraced the opportunity to take on a new role and push my boundaries.It challenged me in ways I never expected, and I’m grateful for every lesson, every teammate, every coach, and every person who believed in me and helped me along the way,” Holmes posted to Instagram.

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.“To the fans, thank you.

You welcomed me and my wife from day one, supported us through the highs and the lows, and truly made New York feel like home.Wearing a Mets uniform was something I’ll always be proud of.”Holmes continued by acknowledging the dream that never came true during his one-plus-season stint in Queens.“I know we all wanted the same thing, and it’s tough to leave without accomplishing what we set out to do,” he said.

“We fell short, and that part is hard.But I’m grateful I got to go through it with a great group of teammates, coaches, and staff who gave everything they had every single day.“I’m thankful for this chapter, for the people we met, and for a city that embraced us from the start.

We’ll always be grateful for our time in New York and everything that came with it.”It’s a different tune than when Holmes left the Yankees in 2024.Some rocky outings in The Bronx led to boos for Holmes, who was the team’s closer at the time.With the Mets, Holmes became a starter and performed well in his new role.He recorded a 3.53 ERA in 33 starts last season.In 2026, Holmes was pitching to a 2.39 ERA before a right fibula fracture sidelined him on May 15....