Frankie Montas has been in communication with two members of the Mets' pitching staff since last season after teams began showing interest in him as a free agent.
Montas said Sean Manaea and Luis Severino provided a strong review of the organization and potential improvements under the guidance of the Mets staff.
“The way they work, the way they prepare the players, the way they help the players recover, all the resources they have to improve the game,” Montas said after agreeing to a two-year contract last Friday. He spoke on a Zoom call. The Mets are worth $34 million, which includes his first postseason opt-out. “I'm really excited for next year and want to see how they can improve my game.”
Montas, 31, started 30 games with the Reds and Brewers last season and posted a 4.84 ERA.
The right-handed pitcher logged 150 sq/₃ innings and struck out 148 batters.
Manaea (a free agent whom Montas called one of his best friends from their days pitching together with the Athletics) and Severino (who agreed to a three-year contract with the Athletics this week worth $67 million) are such low-risk players There were two people who were at high risk. – a compensation option the Mets added last winter that paid off in a big way.
Montas, who averaged 95.3 mph with his fastball last season, was encouraged by his pitching after arriving with the Brewers at the trade deadline.
He started 11 games for the club, striking out 70 batters in 57 1/3 innings and posting a 4.55 ERA.
A season ago, Montas underwent shoulder surgery with the Yankees and played in just one game.
“The biggest adjustment I made was just trusting my arm,” Montas said. “It took me a few months to believe in myself and stop telling myself, 'I don't want to get hurt.' [adjustment] It was probably a mind game on my part that I made and said to my arm, “Whatever you have will be fixed,” and just get out there and let it eat.
“I think that's when you see an increase in velocity. I wasn't afraid to throw, so my arm angle was higher. The last two months I was in Milwaukee, I was definitely getting back to my old self. I felt good just throwing the ball and believing in myself and finally got a healthy arm.”
Looking ahead to next season, Kodai Chiga and David Peterson appear to be aiming for a rotation spot alongside Montas.
Tyler Megill, Paul Blackburn and Jose Butt are also potential starters, but the team is expected to add more rotation players.
Chiga's return from an injury that caused him to miss nearly all games last regular season raises the possibility that the Mets will adopt a six-man rotation. Teams have employed that tactic at various points to give the Japanese right-hander additional rest.
Montas was asked if he supported extending the rotation.
“I probably would have pitched better if I had one more day, but I'm trying to get as many innings in as possible and I want to be in a game every five days,” Montas said. “I like to be accountable to myself, and I take some kind of pride in taking the ball away every five days. … We didn't really have any conversations about it. We stuck to the five-day schedule. I want to.”
Montas, who pitched against the Mets in last season's wild-card round, said it's clear the team has a great chance of success next season.
“That's a team that's hungry to win,” he said. “They want to win the World Series. What they showed this year just let you know they're coming for it all.”
