Clay Holmes has been one of the most dominant closers in the game since Aroldis Chapman went down with Achilles tendinitis, and has been one of the best overall relievers in the league since coming to the Yankees last season.
But with Chapman throwing off the Yankee Stadium mound on Wednesday and apparently nearing a return, would Aaron Boone give the closer role back to Chapman despite Holmes’ overwhelming dominance?
He just might.
Asked what Holmes’ role will be when Chapman returns, Boone said, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that Holmes will be used “in high-leverage situations against the toughest parts of the lineup.”
That won’t always be in the ninth inning with a lead, as Boone also added, “He’ll be closing some games too.”
The set closer role isn’t what it used to be, as teams have realized that the high-leverage point of a game isn’t always the ninth inning, and keeping a closer for the ninth inning only sometimes means the best reliever doesn’t get used at all. So it may make some sense for Boone to deploy Holmes and Chapman differently game by game depending on the situation, but it’s very hard to justify giving save opportunities to Chapman over Holmes at this point.
Holmes hasn’t allowed a run since Opening Day, while Chapman was battling one of his periodic fits with command before his trip to the IL. Holmes has been historically dominant, and removing him from the closer role would certainly lead to an uproar from Yankee fans.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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