Every NY Mets free agent David Stearns signed who didn’t make it through his contract

Since taking over as the New York Mets' president of baseball operations after the 2023 season, David Sterans has made plenty of notable moves and additions to the Mets' roster. Last offseason, he signed the largest contract in professional sports history, giving Juan Soto a 15-year, $765 million guaranteed. He also signed Sean Manaea to a three-year contract last year and brought back Pete Alonso on a one-year deal. However, not every Major League contract Stearns has handed out has worked out well for the Mets. In some cases, they turned into complete disasters, and the player was released before he could fulfil his contract.

1) Frankie Montas

When the Mets signed Frankie Montas to a one-year deal worth $17 million, with a player option for a second year at the same amount, many were already questioning the contract. Montas' 2024 was not impressive, as he pitched to the tune of a 4.84 ERA, 4.71 FIP, and 1.37 WHIP over 150.2 innings with the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. While his 22.6% K% was solid, he also walked 10.1% of opponents and allowed 1.43 home runs per nine innings. He also missed most of 2023 with injuries.

If that wasn't bad enough, Montas soon began facing health concerns. In February, he was diagnosed with a lat strain that would put him on the shelf for six to eight weeks. However, he would later be placed on the 60-day IL at the start of May. It wouldn't be until late May that Montas finally started ramping up for the 2025 season.

Montas made his Mets debut on June 24; however, the results following his IL activation were about as bad as one could get. He only pitched 38.1 innings, allowing 27 earned runs, 48 total hits (including eight home runs), walked 14 batters, and struck out only 32 opponents. Things only got worse before they could get better. Montas would get placed on the 60-day IL in late August with a UCL injury, which would require surgery and would potentially wipe him out for the entirety of the 2026 season.

Montas made the obvious choice of picking up his $17 million team option. However, with the chance of missing most, if not all, of the 2026 season, the Mets opted to DFA Montas prior to the 40-man roster finalization deadline to make room for prospect Nick Morabito. He was released a day later, on November 19, ending a contract that looked bad from the moment the ink dried, which only proceeded to get worse from there.