Mets, Frankie Montas Agree to Two-Year Deal
Starting pitchers are beginning to fly off the shelves as the free-agent market intensifies.
After left-handers Blake Snell (Dodgers) and Yusei Kikuchi (Angels) came off the board last week, another notable hurler inked a new contract late Sunday night, as right-hander Frankie Montas agreed to join the New York Mets, ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported.
Montas reportedly signed a two-year deal worth $34 million, carrying a $17-million average annual value. It also includes an opt-out after the 2025 season and is pending a physical.
The 31-year-old signed a one-year, $16-million contract with the Cincinnati Reds last off-season after missing most of 2023 due to a right shoulder injury – an ailment that also plagued him in ‘22, limiting him to just eight starts after being traded to the New York Yankees.
Montas hoped to bounce back last season, aiming to regain his status as a dependable middle-to-front-line starter. However, his overall results were below his usual standards, finishing with a 4.84 ERA and 4.71 FIP in 30 starts (150.2 innings) split between the Reds and Milwaukee Brewers.
Still, despite his unflattering production, Montas checked off a notable achievement by largely avoiding the IL, allowing him to log the second-most innings of his nine-year big-league career. And he ended on a positive note following his mid-season arrival in Milwaukee.
The 6-foot-2 righty completed at least six innings in five of his 11 starts after being acquired via trade by the Brewers, albeit pitching to a 4.55 ERA and 4.35 FIP across 57.1 innings. But he saw a dramatic uptick in swing-and-miss during his tenure, recording 70 strikeouts – nearly matching his total with the Reds (78) in eight fewer starts.
Montas, whose arsenal includes five pitches, significantly reduced his four-seamer’s usage in September while increasing his splitter’s – gaining more confidence in his primary swing-and-miss weapon, which nearly generated a 50-percent whiff rate that month.
Given the lucrative price the Mets are paying Montas, they’re certainly betting on his health and late-season strikeout surge continuing into 2025. They fared pretty well in that department last winter after successfully hitting on a pair of short-term, prove-it deals with Luis Severino and Sean Manaea – both of whom are free agents again this off-season.
New York entered this winter having to replace three-fifths of its starting rotation after Severino, Manaea, and Jose Quintana entered free agency. After signing Montas, they’ve filled three of their five rotation spots, with Kodai Senga and David Peterson occupying the other two.
Based on the lack of certainty beyond that trio, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns will likely aim to add at least one additional impact starting pitcher this winter.
Perhaps Stearns could pursue a reunion with Manaea, who’d have another chance to pitch alongside Montas – his former Oakland Athletics teammate – if he returned to Queens. But the front office could also set its sights a bit higher, with top-line arms like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried still available.
Just one week away from the Winter Meetings, the free-agent market is certainly gaining steam, particularly for Scott Boras’ clients – now that Snell, Kikuchi and Montas are all signed. Add in Nick Martinez, who accepted his $21.05-million qualifying offer, and four pitchers have already signed from his portfolio.
Baseball’s super agent has been far more aggressive versus last winter when many of Boras’ top clients remained unsigned into the early spring. And he still has a few notable cards left to play, especially with this off-season’s main attraction, outfielder Juan Soto.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.