3 comparable free agents the NY Mets should have signed instead of Frankie Montas

The New York Mets entered the offseason with some questions regarding their rotation. Although it was a solid group in 2024, the Mets saw three of their most reliable pitchers hit free agents, including Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, and Jose Quintana. Each made at least 31 starts with an ERA+ of 105 or greater. One of the hurlers the Mets brought in to help fill out the rotation was veteran right-hander Frankie Montas.

Montas and the Mets agreed to a two-year deal worth $34 million guaranteed ($17 million AAV). But he’s not coming off a great season or great prior seasons. After a rough stint with the New York Yankees that saw him miss nearly all of 2023, Montas signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds last offseason and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the deadline. In total, he had a 4.84 ERA, 4.71 FIP, and 1.37 WHIP in 150.2 IP. Montas had a 22.7% K%, which was about league average, but walked 10.1% of opponents with a poor 1.43 HR/9, 89.3 MPH exit velo, and 9.2% barrel percentage.

The soon-to-be 32-year-old signed in early December. But since then, other notable starting pitchers have agreed to contracts, pitchers who are coming off much more promising campaigns in 2024 and who signed for just as much, if not less than what Montas agreed to. The Mets should have chosen these pitchers to go after over Montas.

1) Tomoyuki Sugano

Tomoyuki Sugano has been one of NPB’s best pitchers. Last season, the right-hander won the Japan Central League MVP award, marking the third time in his career he has taken home that honor. He was very deserving of the award, as he was arguably the best pitcher in Japan last season.

Sugano pitched a total of 156.2 innings for the Yomiuri Giants, working to a 1.67 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 6.94 K:BB ratio. Sugano’s18.3% K% may not stand out on paper, but it was about league average in the Japan Central League (19.1%). However, he was great at limiting walks with a microscopic 2.6% BB% and 0.92 BB/9 ratio. He also allowed just six home runs for an 0.35 HR/9. NBP is currently going through a deadball era, where the league average ERA and OPS were 2.88 and .645, respectively, but Sugano was still great. 

He had the second-best ERA in the Japan Central League, trailing Hiroto Takahashi at 1.38. However, Sugano had the lowest BB/9 ratio, along with the highest K:BB ratio. The veteran right-hander was in the 72nd percentile of SIERA at 2.81, along with the 79th percentile of weighted on-base average on contact (wOBACON). Sugano sits in the low 90s with his four-seamer, but its movement helps the pitch play up. He also will throw a splitter, curveball, slider, and cutter, but with his near plus-plus command, he is able to locate efficiently and effectively.

Sugano signed with the Baltimore Orioles for one season at $13 million. Sugano may be older than Montas, as 2025 will be his age-35 season, and he has yet to throw in the Major Leagues, but the Mets likely would have been better off with Sugano over Montas. He is cheaper and comes with less risk than Montas.