The Mets announced their full slate of option decisions, including the previously-unreported (but completely unsurprising) news that Frankie Montas won’t be triggering the opt-out clause in his contract. The two-year, $34MM contract Montas signed last offseason allowed the right-hander to walk away from the deal after the first season, but Montas will stay put and earn another $17MM salary in 2026.
Shoulder surgery wiped out almost all of Montas’ 2023 season, and he returned to action to post a 4.84 ERA over 150 2/3 innings with the Reds and Brewers in 2024. Despite the high ERA and some lackluster peripherals, Montas still landed the $34MM guarantee in free agency, with the Mets investing in their belief that Montas could fully rebound to his past status as a front-of-the-rotation arm with the A’s.
Instead, Montas delivered only a 6.28 ERA over 38 2/3 innings in 2025. Things got off to a rough start in Spring Training when Montas suffered a lat strain that delayed his season debut until June, and he then pitched so poorly that the Mets moved him to the bullpen. More major injury problems then emerged in late August, when Montas underwent a UCL-related surgery. The specific type of the surgery isn’t known, but Montas will be out until August 2026 at the earliest if he underwent “only” a brace procedure, and a full Tommy John procedure will sideline him the entirety of the 2026 campaign.
Needless to say, it was a pretty easy call for Montas to remain in his Mets contract. Regardless of his health, he might have thrown his last pitch in a New York uniform anyway since the Mets may very well release the righty now that his option decision has been made. The Mets can’t put Montas on the 60-day injured list until Spring Training begins, and the team could decide that having an open 40-man roster spot is more valuable than keeping Montas around.
Like taking money from subscribers! Or candy from a baby!
Smartest decision he’s made in his entire life. Easy money for him to do nothing but recover from injury. Stearns great signing last winter. GM of the year!!!! Haha
Big no-brainer.
Go on, take the money and run.
Hoo, hoo!
Yes, Stearns must have been smoking some wicked stuff to make that deal.
Proving again that Frankie’s agent was smarter
Than David Stearns and the scout that recommended this bum be pushed to the too of last season’s shopping list.
And I don’t mean bum like one of ‘“dem bums” from the luvable Brooklyn Dodgers days.
I mean a stinky paycheck collecting bum.
“Pay check collecting bum”
Proving again that you don’t have to make sense to make comments.
This was a jason bay level contract
Stearns has 1 yr left to prove himself
Otherwise he & mendoza are gone baby gone
I’m shocked….
The question I have is how does the rest of his rehab work if the Mets release him? Who pays for the doctors, where does he go to physically rehab his arm, like throwing live BP, and so on? Is that his financial responsibility? Is it up to him, and his agent to find a way for him to rehab? I would be interested to know what is the players responsibility, the agents responsibility, the unions responsibility, and the teams responsibility in a situation like this.
I’m not sure but I’d imagine it’d be like workers comp. He got hurt pitching for the Mets so they’d have to pay for his surgery whatever else is needed to get to full strength
MLB teams cover surgery and rehab costs for injured players through a combination of their own insurance and the team’s financial responsibility under the CBA, ensuring players receive the medical care they need for baseball-related injuries. Players can also take out personal insurance for long-term career-ending injuries or loss of value.
As far as off-season rehab, I’m not certain…. should be here in the CBA
mlbplayers.com/_files/ugd/4d23dc_d6dfc2344d2042de9…
There may be more than one answer for this. I’m sure the players assoc can recommend a handful of PT labs or clinics that can give him the appropriate rehab for a professional pitcher. Some of the bigger agent/agencies have their own facilities/labs. So if his agent is one of them, there’s that. And let’s keep this in perspective: his surgery was two months ago, so that parts been paid for already. And he’s got $34 million from the Mets, plus whatever he made before. Does it really matter who pays for it??
It really depends on how his contract was drawn up. If they’re not obligated in the event of a release, he’s on his own I assume as well. Those are all good questions. I do know guys like Pedro Martinez do offseason stuff with pitchers.
If the Mets release him maybe another team signs Montas to a minors deal. A cheap potential depth arm for the end of the season.
Thank you everyone for responding. I appreciate it. When I have to the time to do some homework myself, I’ll post what I find as well.
Money ball
Stupid Money Lol Mets
Mets Derangement Syndrome
Somewhere, Steve Cohen thought he might have felt something in his wallet. Then he continued on with his day.
It’s sorta like sending a disturbance in the Force.
So over the past three seasons (2023 – 2025) he’s pitched to a 5.10 ERA over 190.2 innings, and for that he earned $40.5 million (according to baseball-refernce.com). Now he’ll pick up another $17 million for 2026 and won’t be available until August at the earliest. Amazing.
Yankees21: Truly in the Anthony Rendon-Jacoby Ellsbury-Stephen Strasburg-Jed Lowrie-Chris Davis mold.
The Mets deal makes the Yankees move for him seem not as bad. Thank God for Steve Cohen.
He doesnt needs SNAP payments
That was SURPRISING!! Worst spent money. At least he can now be released to save a roster spot
Invite him and Jed Lowrie to the casino. Maybe get some of that money back.
I’m not a Stearns hater but this was a baffling contract. Quintana cost less and was the better pitcher last year. I really think Stearns only sees numbers and has no concept of clubhouse chemistry or culture.
Yeah I dk what they saw in his pitch mix that they thought would be useful but I think the thought process was that Quintana was going to get much more than he did.
Stearns hates a bidding war so getting Montas signed on December 1 felt a safer choice than seeing what happens with Quintana who signed over a month later.
FWIW you could argue that Quintana was only so cheap because nobody drove up his price, but if the Mets were in on him then his price would’ve been driven up ….. so maybe the deal he got with the Brewers wouldn’t have been as possible for the Mets.