Frankie Montas has a deal with the Mets.
The right-hander agreed to a two-year, $34 million contract, according to ESPN — a signing that would add an established arm to the Mets’ work-in-progress starting rotation.
The pact is pending a physical.
Montas, 31, went 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 150.2 innings over 30 starts last season for the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers.
He is set to join a Mets rotation that currently has Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Paul Blackburn as options.
While most of the attention surrounding the Mets’ offseason has revolved around their pursuit of Juan Soto, they have three rotation spots to fill. Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana, each of whom made at least 31 starts last season, are all free agents.
“Pitching’s a priority this offseason,” David Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations, said during his end-of-season press conference in October. “We’re gonna have to replace innings. Certainly, part of that could potentially be from some of those guys returning, or we may look elsewhere. We’re going to have to add starting pitching.”
Montas started for the Brewers in Game 2 of their National League Wild Card series against the Mets, allowing three runs (one earned) over 3.2 innings in an eventual 5-3 win by Milwaukee.
He previously pitched in New York for the Yankees, who acquired him before the 2022 trade deadline from the Oakland A’s. Shoulder issues limited Montas to eight starts with the Yankees in 2022, and he underwent shoulder surgery before the 2023 season, limiting him to 1.1 innings that year. He pitched to a 6.15 ERA during his time with the Yankees.
Montas owns a 44-46 record and a 4.09 ERA over nine MLB seasons. He finished sixth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2021, when went 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA for the A’s.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/12/01/mets-agree-deal-frankie-montas/