In a move that has been expected, Frankie Montas picked up his option with the New York Mets for the 2026 season.
According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Montas exercised his $17 million option to remain with the Mets.
The Mets took a chance on Montas’ upside by signing him to a two-year, $34 million deal as a free agent in December 2024. He was coming off a season in which he made 30 starts between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, though his ERA was 4.84 in those games.
Things did not get better for Montas during his first season in Queens. He began the year on the injured list due to a strained lat and posted a 6.28 ERA in nine appearances after returning.
The Mets announced on Aug. 23 that Montas was being shut down for the remainder of the season due to an elbow injury. He then opted to have Tommy John surgery, keeping him out for all of 2026.
Picking up the $17 million option was certainly the most logical choice for Montas. He is getting paid a nice sum of money and will be able to rehab with the Mets’ medical staff, while preparing to return in 2027.
Montas originally signed with the Boston Red Sox as an international free agent in 2009 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox four years later. He made his big-league debut in 2015, but struggled with injuries right out of the gate.
After being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2015, Montas spent most of the year in the minors when he wasn’t injured. He was traded midway through the season to the Athletics.
Montas’ best season came in 2021 when he posted a 3.37 ERA in 187 innings, finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting. He has since had disastrous stints with the New York Yankees, Reds, Brewers and now Mets that derailed his career.
The 2026 season will mark the second time in four years that Montas has effectively sat out an entire year. He made one appearance for the Yankees on Sept. 30, 2023, after being sidelined due to a shoulder injury that required arthroscopic surgery.
Given Montas’ age—he will turn 33 on March 21—and amount of time missed, his MLB future is very much uncertain after the 2026 season.
