New York Mets Starting Rotation Still Incomplete Even After Signing Frankie Montas

The Mets have three positions in the starting rotation to fill this offseason and while Montas is a good start, there's still more work to be done.

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Frankie Montas (47) between pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park on Sept 12. / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The New York Mets came to terms with free agent starting pitcher Frankie Montas on Sunday night, inking him to a two-year deal worth $34 million.

The 31-year-old Montas went 7-11 in 2024, pitching for both the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. A nine-year veteran of those two teams plus the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and Yankees, Montas is 44-46 with a 4.09 ERA.

He won 13 games for the A's back in 2021, finishing sixth in the American League Cy Young voting. Injuries got to him at the end of 2022, and he made only one appearance in 2023, but he made 30 starts in 2024. That level of dependability is always coveted by major league front offices.

While signing Montas is a good start, the Mets still have plenty of work to do this offseason on the pitching front. New York saw Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana hit free agency, so there's stiill at least two rotation spots to fill for the group that advanced to the National League Championship Series.

It remains to be seen how the Mets will handle those pitching needs moving forward. They are the favorites to sign outfielder Juan Soto, but if Soto spurns them, they could potentially move to ace pitchers like Corbin Burnes or Max Fried. Manaea could also be interested in returning on a big deal.

Even if the Mets do land Soto, they can't be counted out to make another big splash in free agency, so big-name pitchers could be in play regardless. There's also the trade market, where the Mets have a farm system capable of enticing opposing teams to make a deal.

Right now, Montas slots alongside Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Tylor Megill.

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