The New York Mets have made their first splash of the off-season.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Mets and right-handed starter Frankie Montas agreed to a two-year, $34 million contract on Sunday. The deal is pending a physical.
Montas spent the 2024 season with the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers thanks to a mid-season trade. In total, the 31-year-old threw 150.2 innings, posting a 4.84 ERA.
A nine-year MLB veteran, Montas struck out 148 hitters in 2024, collecting a 7-11 record.
With the Brewers, Montas was tabbed to start Game 2 of their NL wild-card series against the New York Mets. He pitched 3.2 innings in the game, allowing three runs — just one earned — while striking out three.
Montas had a $20 million mutual option on his contract for the 2025 season, which he declined in early November, hitting the open market for the second straight off-season.
Last year, the six-foot-two righty signed with Cincinnati on a one-year, $14 million deal — which included the mutual option.
In his MLB career, Montas has pitched with five different franchises, most notably spending six years with the Athletics. Through 744.1 career innings, the Sainagua, Dominican Republic native boasts a 4.09 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 760 strikeouts and 44 wins.
Montas’s best season came in 2021 with the A’s when he finished sixth in Cy Young voting with a 3.37 ERA and 207 strikeouts over 187 innings.
This figures to be the first of multiple moves the Mets make in addressing their rotation. Following their run to the NLCS, starters Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana all became free agents this winter.