The Mets made the first free agent signing of what is expected to be a busy offseason, signing Frankie Montas to a two-year, 34 million-dollar contract. However, this is not the move Mets fans want to talk about with all the rumors circulating around Juan Soto. This move has the chance to make a major impact for the Mets this season.
How Has Montas’s Career Been?
Montas’s journey to the MLB started in 2009 when he signed with the Boston Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic. He spent six seasons in the minors before making his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2015. However, he didn’t return to the bigs until the 2017 season with the then Oakland A’s, where he was primarily a bullpen pitcher. He didn’t become a full-time starter until 2019. Over his nine seasons, he has spent time with the White Sox, A’s, Yankees, Reds, and Brewers.
Over 744.1 innings pitched, he has an ERA of 4.09 with 760 strikeouts to 263 walks, a 1.309 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 101. In 2024, he pitched 150.2 innings to a 4.84 ERA with 148 strikeouts to 66 walks, a 1.367 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 89. He spent the season with the Reds and the Brewers, and his numbers got noticeably better in Milwaukee. His ERA was .46 points lower with the Brewers than with the Reds.
Montas has five pitches in his arsenal: a four-seam fastball, sinker, cutter, split-finger, and slider. He relies heavily on his four-seamer, which sits around 96 mph. He threw his four-seamer 33.2% of the time, with his sinker being the closest to it at 19.1%. His four-seamer even jumped his split-finger as his put-away pitch, throwing it 47.7% of the time when the batter had two strikes.
How He Impacts the Mets
Now that there is an understanding of the type of pitcher Montas is, what will his role be on the Mets? Starting pitching is a big need for the Mets this offseason. With guys like Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, and Jose Quintana all being free agents, the Mets need to replenish their rotation. Montas will be the replacement for Quintana. A back of the rotation arm that has high upside for the team. A reliable starter who can’t headline a rotation but can be an innings eater. He could also be used as a swingman. A guy who can either be the fifth in the rotation or the long man coming out of the bullpen. He also has experience playing in New York and with the expectations that come with playing here.
However, what most Mets fans should be excited about is if this will be another David Streans success story. Ever since Streans was in Milwaukee, he’s had a knack for signing veteran pitchers to short-term deals, then turning them into all-stars. Manaea is the best example of this. A guy whose career seemed over at the end of the 2023 season, had an excellent 2024 regular and postseason, and is projected to sign a big contract this offseason. A Manaea-like turnaround is unrealistic, but there is no reason why Mets fans shouldn’t be excited about what his ceiling could be.
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