WASHINGTON — David Peterson and Clay Holmes left the Mets at relative personal down points.
Peterson was an All-Star last season but saw his fortunes dip in the second half last season before struggling earlier this year.
Holmes was great in his first campaign as a big league starter in 2025, even better this season before getting sidelined with a fractured fibula in mid May.
Neither is a Met anymore, both traded to the Cubs, where they’re looking to rediscover the best versions of themselves to help power a playoff run.
“Last year, we talked a lot,” Peterson said of Holmes. “We were next to each other in the clubhouse, so we were always bouncing things off [each other]. … It’s fun to talk the game with him.”
“It’s good to have a familiar face around,” Holmes said of Peterson. “He’s a guy that, similar to me, has a dry, fun way about him, so we kind of connect on that a little bit. … He’s just a pro. Having guys like that around that are pros, you can trust those guys.”
Peterson has thrived since coming over in late June, when the Cubs were buried by pitching injuries, needing someone, anyone, to make starts.
But he’s been more than a fill-in, looking like a reliable playoff option, should the Cubs include him as part of a postseason rotation. He’s thrilled to use his skill in coaxing grounders with a Gold Glove defense behind him.
Peterson’s 4.03 ERA as a Cub isn’t too exciting, but he’s been excellent in six of his seven starts. Exclude a 10-run clunker against the Cardinals, and his ERA in the other six outings is a microscopic 1.83.
“I got to see Petey last year, when he was probably at his best,” Holmes said. “He has a way of getting the ball on the ground. It’s fun to see him get back to that. … I’m just excited that he looks like he’s back to where he needs to be.
“He’s a very versatile guy: a really good starter that can be used in a lot of different ways. When he’s throwing the ball well, it’s a guy you want on the mound.”
With Peterson’s October role potentially up in the air, versatility isn’t a bad thing. With his history as an All-Star reliever, Holmes has it, too. But while the playoffs can bring anything, he was acquired to be a top-of-the-rotation arm.
Holmes looked rusty in his first major league start since that May leg injury, allowing four runs in four innings. A briefer outing wasn’t unexpected, but the Cubs will certainly expect more once he’s got his sea legs back, having parted with No. 2 prospect Jefferson Rojas to land him and outfielder Tyrone Taylor.
“Those are two of the best guys that you could ask for,” Peterson said.
That best version of Holmes is certainly in there. He returned to starting with the Mets last season, posting a 3.53 ERA in 33 outings. He had a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this year before hitting the IL.
Holmes, too, figures to benefit from the Cubs’ dazzling defense, fitting a similar bill to Peterson as a ground-ball generator. If they get the version of Holmes the Mets did, he’ll shoot right to the top of that playoff starting staff.
“You’re going to get a guy that goes out there and gives you a chance to win,” Peterson said, “just another guy that knows how to go through a lineup multiple times, has all the weapons and pitches to be super successful. He’s shown that. It’s more firepower for us.”
With both guys in the fold, a pitching staff that suffered from depth issues earlier this summer — and last fall — is looking capable of helping, perhaps powering, the Cubs toward their No. 1 goal.
“It’s a group that can elevate each other, and it doesn’t have to be the same guy every night,” Peterson said. “When you have a group where everyone’s pulling the rope in the same direction, it makes us stronger as a unit and a harder team to beat.”
