Mets' Opening Day starter just adds more insult to the Yankees' many injuries

The New York Yankees and the New York Mets are forever intertwined as cross-city rivals, but that beef took on a new dimension this offseason.

It starts, of course, with the Juan Soto of it all. After a dominant season in the Bronx, which resulted in a spirited loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, Soto spurned the Yankees for the Mets as a free agent. He inked the largest guaranteed contract in American sports history — $765 million — in what felt like a direct message from Steve Cohen to Hal Steinbrenner.

Soto has nothing but kind things to say about the Yankees publicly, but he clearly had issues with how things were handled behind closed doors in 2024. Factor in the Mets' bottomless checking account, and bolting for Queens was an easy choice. Soto gets to hit behind Francisco Lindor, with Pete Alonso serving as protection in the three-hole; not a bad setup for a guy who made the controversial choice to sever his partnership with Aaron Judge after a single, highly productive campaign together.

There's even more meat on this bone, though. The Mets also signed former Yankees closer Clay Holmes — then named him a starter. Last season was a struggle for Holmes, but now he gets a chance to rebound in a more valuable role, and to do so right across town.

As fate would have it, Holmes has impressed enough in spring training to earn the starting nod from manager Carlos Mendoza on Opening Day.

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Mets officially name Clay Holmes Opening Day starter while Yankees deal with Gerrit Cole's absence

Tonight, save a prayer for the Yankees fans in your life.

Holmes spent 3.5 productive seasons in the Bronx, earning two All-Star berths and securing 74 saves. Last season was far from perfect, especially by Holmes' high standards, but he still finished with a 3.14 ERA and 68 strikeouts across 60.0 innings. The dude can throw it, and throw it well. Now he's on a pedestal for the Mets, heading toward what could be his most impressive individual campaign to date if all works out.

The Mets will visit the Houston Astros on Opening Day with Holmes on the mound and Soto in the lineup.

Compare that to the Yankees' current setup — with the highly combustible Carlos Rodon confirmed as Opening Day starter in lieu of Gerrit Cole — and Mets fans ought to be celebrating in the streets. For decades, there has been a distinct big brother-little brother relationship between the Yankees and the Mets in NYC. For now, it sure feels like the Mets have flipped that dynamic a bit. It helps that Mendoza is engineering the perfect Yankees nightmare straight out of the gate. If Holmes aces his first test and Soto knocks a few baseballs around ... well, let's just say it'll be a tough scene for the folks in pinstripes.

Holmes, again, sure looks the part of an Opening Day starter this spring. New York entered the offseason with a lot of question marks on the pitching front, but GM David Stearns has done a nice job rebuilding his rotation, practically from scratch. Grabbing Holmes at a discounted rate for a starter — and still with plenty left in the tank at 31 years old — feels like an especially prudent investment. The talented righty has allowed just two hits and four walks with zero earned runs across 9.2 innings of action in the Grapefruit League.

So, shield your eyes, Yankees fans. It could get ugly.