by The New York Mets added a key piece to their rotation on Sunday night.
The Mets agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal with right-hander Frankie Montas on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Montas would also have a player option in the deal after the 2025 season.
Right-hander Frankie Montas and the New York Mets are in agreement on a two-year, $34 million contract, pending physical examination, sources tell ESPN. Montas, 31, pitched 150.2 innings with a 4.84 ERA with Cincinnati and Milwaukee last year. He is the first piece of the Mets’ new rotation.
– Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 2, 2024
Montas started last season with the Cincinnati Reds, who signed him after a shoulder injury limited him to just one game in 2023 when he was with the New York Yankees. The Milwaukee Brewers then traded for Montas before the trade deadline in July. It was the fifth time since he made his major league debut in 2015 that he was traded.
Overall, Montas held a 4.84 ERA with 148 strikeouts in nearly 151 innings pitched last season. He went 7-11 in 30 starts, and went 3-3 with the Brewers to close out the year. The team made the playoffs for a second straight year, although they were again eliminated in the wild card round earlier that fall.
Montas, 31, will now join Kodai Senga and David Peterson in the Mets rotation after several other starters from last season entered free agency, including Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana, who helped lead the team during a surprising trip to the National. League Championship Series earlier this year. Although they failed to secure a World Series berth, it marked the team’s deepest postseason run in nearly a decade.
The Mets are sure to make several other moves this offseason when it comes to their bullpen, including potentially signing new deals with one of their three starters who are now on the open market. The team is also reportedly in the running to sign star outfielder Juan Soto. Thanks to free agency, the Mets have already reduced their payroll by $150 million from last season, the highest in the league.
While Montas may not be a legitimate front-court starter in New York, which he has demonstrated throughout his career, he should be able to provide very solid depth to the Mets’ rotation. next summer.
