The New York Yankees might be on the verge of making a major change following a tough loss on Tuesday night.
Manager Aaron Boone hinted at the possibility of removing Clay Holmes from his closer role after Holmes’ latest blown save. Holmes surrendered a walk-off grand slam to Wyatt Langford in a 7-4 defeat, marking his 11th blown save of the season and his third in the past month.
Boone, while acknowledging the need for a potential change, remained non-committal immediately after the game. “I’m not going to answer that right now when we’re raw and emotional,” Boone said, as reported by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “We’ll talk through it and do what we think is the best thing. … We have options down there, and we’ll consider everything.”
Boone does have alternatives, but finding a suitable replacement for Holmes is complicated by the lack of a clear choice. Luke Weaver and Jake Cousins have performed well in relief roles, but neither has experience as a closer. Veteran Tommy Kahnle, though experienced as a back-end reliever, also lacks recent closing experience.
Despite Holmes’ overall decent ERA of 3.27, the frequent blown saves are a significant concern. This ongoing issue highlights the potential need for a roster upgrade to stabilize the bullpen.
