White Sox to Pursue Free Agent Clay Holmes

The Chicago White Sox are eyeing two-time All-Star Clay Holmes to bolster their starting rotation this offseason.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Baseball

White Sox to Pursue Free Agent Clay Holmes

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The Chicago White Sox are emerging as a potential landing spot for free agent starting pitcher Clay Holmes this 2026-27 offseason. The club is actively seeking to add depth to their starting rotation.

Why it matters

The team currently maintains only five starters in their rotation and requires additional depth to improve their performance. This potential signing aims to stabilize the pitching staff following recent organizational challenges.

Clay Holmes recorded a 4.25 ERA across nine starts during his 2026 stint with the Chicago Cubs. He relies on his sinker for nearly 50 percent of his pitches and maintains a 62 percent ground ball rate.

The players

Clay Holmes

A two-time All-Star starting pitcher who played for both the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs during the 2026 season.

Chicago White Sox

A Major League Baseball franchise based in Chicago that is currently looking to expand its starting rotation.

The details

Holmes spent part of the 2026 season with the Chicago Cubs after being traded from the New York Mets, though he missed nearly three months of action due to a fractured right fibula. The White Sox are looking to build on their recent momentum after winning a postseason series.

The 2026 season saw the Chicago White Sox win a postseason series.
Clay Holmes is expected to sign a new contract during the 2026-27 offseason.

Season Trajectory

The potential signing of Clay Holmes represents a strategic effort by the White Sox to sustain the momentum built from their recent postseason series win. This move shifts the franchise trajectory by addressing the rotation gaps that followed their 121-loss 2024 campaign.

Acquiring Holmes would provide the White Sox with a sinker-heavy arm capable of inducing high ground ball rates to stabilize the current five-man rotation. This rotation depth is critical for the team to avoid the heavy bullpen reliance seen in previous seasons.

The takeaway

Adding a veteran pitcher like Holmes can offer the rotation the consistency needed to compete throughout a full 162-game schedule. Teams looking to improve often focus on players who specialize in high-efficiency pitches to minimize defensive stress.