Ranking free agent relief pitchers for KC Royals to target heading into 2025

3. Clay Holmes, RHP

The Yankees acquired Clay Holmes in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates in July 2021, and by April 2022, he was locked in as the team's closer. During the 2022 season, he posted an 2.54 ERA and saved 20 out of 25 opportunities, and the following year, he recorded a 2.86 ERA and closed 24 out of 27 opportunities. Unfortunately, 2024 was shakier year for the 31-year-old.

Holmes started the year as the Yankees' closer, and even received the second All-Star selection of his career. Trouble came in the second half of the regular season with Holmes struggling down the stretch, and in August, he lost the closer role to Luke Weaver. In 63 innings of work this season, Holmes went 3-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, marking the worst stats he's posted since he's been in New York.

To be clear, a 3.14 ERA is a long way from disappointing, and according to Baseball Savant, he was still in the 88% percentile in fastball velocity — it's just a drop from what Yankees fans had come to expect from the right-hander. Holmes is arguably better-suited to a set-up man role in the bullpen than closer, which would work well for the Royals, who already have a fierce closer in Erceg.

On October 31, The Athletic's Jim Bowden named the Royals as a "best team fit" for Holmes, predicting he'd be looking at a two-year, $18.5 million deal this winter. Sportrac places Holmes' market value higher than that, predicting he will sign a four-year, $54.9 million contract. Still, Holmes is well within the Royals' price range, and he could be the high-leverage boost their bullpen so desperately needs.

2. Jeff Hoffman, RHP

Jeff Hoffman had the best season of his career in 2024 with the Philadelphia Phillies, and that's saying a lot considering how dominant he was last year. It's been an incredible two years for the 31-year-old, who joined the Phillies organization on a minor-league contract at the start of the 2023 season and wasn't added to the major-league roster until May that year.

Having signed a one-year, $2.2 million contract to stay with the Phillies this season, Hoffman posted a 2.17 ERA with a 0.96 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 66.1 innings of work, closing 10 out of 13 save opportunities and earning his first career All-Star selection. According to Baseball Savant, the right-hander was in the 96% percentile in both whiff and strikeout rate, and in the 88th percentile in fastball velocity.

This offseason, Sportrac projects Hoffman will secure a two-year, $12.4 million deal out of free agency, which feels like a bargain and is definitely something the Royals can afford. Bowden named Kansas City as a "best team fit" for Hoffman in his free agency preview on October 31, and it's obvious why — he's a budget-friendly option that would slot into the Royals' bullpen seamlessly.