In following a strategy that worked last year by signing starting pitchers to short-term deals, the New York Mets have agreed to a two-year guarantee with right-hander Frankie Montas worth $34 million, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
Montas, who will be entering his age-32 season, would get $17 million each year of the deal, which includes a player option for 2026, the league source said. ESPN first reported the agreement, which is pending a physical.
While splitting his season with the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers in 2024, Montas pitched 150 2/3 innings. He had a 4.84 ERA/4.71 FIP with a 1.36 WHIP and 148 strikeouts.
The Mets entered the offseason with as many as three vacancies in their starting rotation after Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana all became free agents. Montas is the Mets’ first addition. If last year is an indication, he profiles as someone who could help stabilize the Mets’ rotation by logging innings.
Frankie Montas, Wicked 87mph Splitter. 🤢
8th K pic.twitter.com/vzFR8FeoWL
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 18, 2024
Montas will challenge Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns’ reputation for discovering undervalued starting pitchers. Montas made some adjustments in the second half of the season leading to more strikeouts but a lot of his underlying numbers ranked in the bottom half of the league, per Baseball Savant. Still, Montas wouldn’t be the first pitcher like that to turn things around under Stearns.
Montas’ agreement draws similarities to the two-year guarantee that Manaea signed last offseason. Both are represented by the Boras Corporation. Manaea’s deal worked out for both parties; he became the Mets’ ace and returned to free agency looking for a more lucrative deal. When the Mets initially signed Manaea, they mostly envisioned him as just a stabilizing presence for innings. At the least, Montas appears that he can provide that in the back end of the rotation but though he mostly stayed healthy last year he has had some injuries in the past.
For Montas, it’s a return to New York because he spent two years with the Yankees. In 2022, the Yankees acquired Montas from the A’s at the trade deadline, but he battled shoulder discomfort and posted an ugly 6.35 ERA. Montas then required labrum surgery the following February. He ended up pitching just 1 1/3 innings in one game in September 2023.
Ahead of last season, the Reds signed Montas to what ended up being a one-year deal worth $16 million (including a $2 million buyout), hoping for a bounceback. Montas provided innings, but the quality of his performance was shaky. His 22.6 percent strikeout rate was his lowest since 2018. He also had a career-worst 42.3 percent hard-hit rate.
With the Brewers, an organization known for getting a lot of value out of pitchers, Montas made a couple of promising tweaks. He started throwing his sinker more, and that profiled as his only plus pitch. His velocity also crept up over 96 mph, which is a good sign for a pitcher late in his first full season after an injury.
To that end, Montas’ numbers improved following his trade to the Brewers. With the Reds, he had a 5.01 ERA (93 1/3 innings) with 41 walks and 78 strikeouts. He had a 4.55 ERA (57 1/3 innings) with 25 walks and 70 strikeouts with the Brewers.
GO DEEPER
Mets rotation strategy: Will they continue to target short-term deals?
(Photo: John Fisher / Getty Images)
