NEW YORK — As New York Mets starter Clay Holmes ramps up toward a return, multiple teams are paying close attention to his recovery and eyeing him as a sensible trade target.A worthwhile alternative, however, exists for the Mets and Holmes, who holds a player option worth $12 million for 2027.Between now and the Aug. 3 trade deadline, while Holmes lingers on the injured list with a fractured fibula, the Mets should explore a midseason extension with the 33-year-old.Holmes is open to the idea.“Definitely open,” Holmes told The Athletic on Thursday. “I know things are not the easiest right now and hard, but it’s not like I’m sitting here hoping to run away from it. If I can be part of the solution to make things better here, I would like that.“I came here for a reason. You almost have the sense of some type of unfinished business. You want to make things right and do things well here because when you do win here, it’s very exciting. I’ve seen that. It’s something that I hope to be a part of. I don’t know what that looks like. But that desire is still there.”The Mets haven’t closed the door on such a move, according to a source familiar with the club’s thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity in exchange for candor.Holmes’ injury makes him a more complicated acquisition at the trade deadline. He may not make a big-league start before the deadline, and he probably wouldn’t bring back as large a return as he would have if he were healthy.That should push the Mets to think deeply about keeping him beyond next month and into next season. Despite this season’s derailment, New York aims to be competitive again in 2027. Behind Nolan McLean and Christian Scott, the Mets’ rotation features questions and vacancies.There are some other factors worth considering. The Mets could prefer to hold on to Holmes and submit a qualifying offer on him, which would be worth about $23 million over one year. The qualifying offer could depress a player’s market in free agency and, were Holmes to sign elsewhere, the Mets would recoup a draft pick after the fourth round next summer.