NY Mets contract with Frankie Montas has the same feel as another recent deal

There isn’t much of a benefit to the Mets with the second-year option

The player option the Mets awarded to Sean Manaea last offseason ended up in the trash with him outperforming the money he would have received if he had opted in, $13.5 million. Manaea had some of those same red flags as Montas did prior to signing with the Mets. Working to Manaea’s benefit was being further removed from major injuries. In comparison to Montas, he has been a workhorse. Five seasons in his career have included 150+ innings. As a rookie in 2016, he fell just shy at 144.2.

Player options are never team friendly. They’re a way to give the player a little extra incentive to sign a contract in the first place. Montas is planning to capitalize on his deal with the Mets the same way Manaea did. He could very well end up pitching his way into a more lucrative deal than the $17 million the Mets are on the hook for in 2026 if he opts in.

The worry is if he has another very average or injured year and chooses to stick around. We know Steve Cohen isn’t afraid to eat money, but the Mets haven’t operated with complete ruthlessness when the financial punishment is large. Otherwise, Starling Marte would have been cut in favor of an improvement. Narvaez never would have been allowed to start the 2024 season on the team.