Report: Mets sign RHP Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million contract
Plus, a look at the Mets catching situation heading into 2025
What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets and RHP Frankie Montas agreed to a two-year, $34 million contract on Sunday (ESPN)
Former Mets’ player, coach, and overall fan favorite, Howard Johnson celebrated his 64th birthday over the weekend
The Juan Soto Sweepstakes ♨️
The Mets and the Red Sox are the two most likely landing spots for Juan Soto, with Hall of Famer David Ortiz working hard to recruit Soto to Boston. The Yankees might not be willing to go beyond $550 million with their offer (NJ.com) - Dec. 1
As the bidding enters its second round, the Yankees upgraded their initial offer to Juan Soto, who is looking for a 15-year contract (New York Post) - Nov. 27
The Red Sox are becoming more and more aggressive in their pursuit of Soto, and are seen as a legitimate contender for the superstar hitter (New York Post) - Nov. 27
While five teams have already made offers for Juan Soto, there are expected to be multiple rounds of offers made, with the first round of offers expected to be preliminary and meant as a way to gauge interest from all parties. The following offers / rounds will increasingly become more serious, with a final decision possible around the Winter Meetings (The Athletic) - Nov. 27
The Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays have all extended offers for Soto (SNY) - Nov. 26
Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy confirmed that his team are firmly in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, making clear that the Sox have “a sense of extreme urgency internally” to be competitive in 2025 (SNY) - Nov. 20
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner revealed that he had a “very honest” meeting with Juan Soto, but has “no idea” if the superstar will return to the Bronx (NY Post) - Nov. 20
Juan Soto ending up with the Mets this winter is seen as the “most likely scenario” according to one prominent insider (Athletic) - Nov. 19
The Dodgers reportedly met with Juan Soto on Tuesday (MLB.com) – Nov. 19
The Phillies haven’t met with Juan Soto yet, but they plan to (New York Post) – Nov. 19
The Mets are willing to bid $50 million over whoever is the highest bidder for Juan Soto (YES Network) – Nov. 18
Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns, and manager Carlos Mendoza met with Scott Boras and Juan Soto on Saturday in Newport Beach, CA (New York Post) – Nov. 16
The Mets came away “hopeful” and perhaps “optimistic” of their chances of being able to sign Soto
They remain viewed as one of the favorites to sign Soto, as the meeting went very well
Someone would have to blow Juan Soto away with an offer to pry him from the Yankees, who could sign before the Winter Meetings (SNY) – Nov. 12
Francisco Lindor has taken a role in the club’s pursuit of free agent superstar Juan Soto (ESPN) – Nov. 12
Soto is eying a $700 million contract in free agency (New York Post) – Oct. 31
After the Yankees lost Game 5 of the World Series, Soto told reporters all 30 clubs will be in play for his free agency this winter (watch) – Oct. 30
Rumor Mill 💨
The Giants have significant interest in RHP Corbin Burnes (MLB.com)
St. Louis could consider trading former Mets LHP Steven Matz (STLToday)
Multiple MLB teams have expressed interest in OF Socrates Brito who has played in Korea the past three seasons (New York Post)
The Mets signed a pitcher, but not who you’d expect… ✍️
by Michael Baron
The Mets concluded their Thanksgiving weekend by filling a void in their starting rotation, signing RHP Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million contract, according to multiple reports.
Montas will make $17 million in 2025 and 2026, but can opt out of his contract after 2025 and become a free agent again.
Montas, 31, compiled a 4.84 ERA between the Reds and Brewers over 150.2 IP in 2024 after spending two difficult seasons with the Yankees. He allowed 140 hits and 66 walks with 148 strikeouts while allowing 24 home runs in 30 starts for the two clubs last season.
Montas is a sinkerballer who still has pretty good velocity, but was in the lower percentiles in walk rate, hard hit rate, and expected ERA in 2024 thanks to what can largely be attributed to an ineffective slider and cutter.
Perhaps the best part of Montas’ season in 2024 was his health - he made 30 starts for the Reds and Brewers after making just 28 combined between 2022 and 2023 with the A’s and Yankees thanks to shoulder problems.
Montas’s best seasons came between 2018-2021 when he compiled a 3.57 ERA, a 6.5 bWAR, and 413 strikeouts over 401 innings with the A’s during that span.
Now, Montas projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter for the Mets who will likely slot behind Kodai Senga and David Peterson until the Mets find another starting pitcher, either via free agency or trade.
Clearly, the Mets are going with a prove-it deal for Montas, much like they did for Sean Manaea and Luis Severino in 2024, which worked out very well for all parties last season. The question is, will the Mets opt for another short-term, prove-it deal to build out the rest of their rotation, or a heavier investment in the starting rotation which might offer more assurances?
Time will tell, but for now with Montas, the Mets are following a path - that which includes procuring a talented pitcher with fixable faults - to once again fill out a starting rotation which needs both a presence and stability in 2025.
A look at the Mets organizational catching depth… ✍️
by Justin Mears
Heading into last season, the Mets were confident in Francisco Álvarez being their workhorse behind the plate and felt reasonably optimistic about Omar Narváez’s ability to be a serviceable back-up.
But they were also fortunate enough to have Tomás Nido, who had started so many games for New York, beginning the season in Triple-A Syracuse.
It didn’t take long for them to have to utilize their safety net.
Álvarez sprained his thumb in Los Angeles in the third week of April, necessitating Nido’s promotion from Triple-A. The veteran split time with Narváez for the better part of a month and actually played the majority of the time for most of May while Narváez struggled on both sides of the ball.
One of the most underrated moves President of Baseball Operations David Stearns made last season was the trade with the Yankees that brought back Luis Torrens, who ended up playing a massive role in Queens.
Despite spending the entirety of his Yankees’ tenure in the minors, the Mets immediately promoted Torrens and designated Narváez for assignment as the corresponding move. Nido was released when Alvarez returned in June, and aside from a brief promotion for Joe Hudson when Torrens was on paternity leave, the Mets had their catching preferred catching duo for the rest of the season.
But as I sit here today reminiscing about the early season turbulence for the catching position last year, it does concern me a little about where the Mets are behind the plate right now.
We know the Mets will go into 2025 with Álvarez again as the starting catcher, and Torrens in place as a solid two-way backstop. But what happens if one of them goes down for any amount of time or under-performs?
Kevin Parada, whom the Mets drafted in the first round of the 2022 draft, is currently projected to be the starting catcher in Syracuse, but that’s almost by default. The Georgia Tech product’s first three seasons in professional baseball have been uninspiring, as in 232 games in the Mets system, he owns a lifetime .233/.322/.395 slash line. He has not hit for nearly the amount of power New York thought he would, and he committed 11 errors and allowed 15 passed balls behind the plate in 2024.
The Mets traded for Jakson Reetz last week, but the 28-year-old is a lifetime .239 hitter in more than 700 minor league contests and projects as a depth addition more than anything else.
Hayden Senger has been in the Mets organization since 2018 and has yet to play in a Major League game but will again be a participant in big league spring training.
Do any of those three names inspire confidence? How are we feeling about that group potentially having to play meaningful games in Queens?
To me, the Mets desperately need to add a veteran catcher that would be willing to start the season in Triple-A to provide the type of safety net Nido was a year ago.
In fact, Nido himself is currently available as a free agent and would make a world of sense to bring back.
Other names that make sense for the Mets to look into, in my opinion, include Jacob Stallings, Martin Maldonado, and Austin Wynns.
Stearns and company obviously have much bigger fish to fry—the well-documented Juan Soto pursuit as well as Pete Alonso’s free agency, for example—but catching depth is still an area I’d like to see the organization address.
And I fully believe they will.
Around the League 🚩
The Braves signed RHP Connor Gillispie to a Major League deal (Braves)
Former Marlins’ RHP Emmanuel Ramirez signed a deal to play with the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (Seibu Lions)