The New York Mets received some injury news on Monday that was less than ideal to start the 2025 season.
Frankie Montas is officially shut down for 6-8 weeks due to a lat strain. Montas just signed a two-year, $34 million contract with the Mets in December. He was projected to be toward the top of the rotation, but the organization now needs to consider a backup plan.
At a minimum, Montas will be out for 2 1/2 months. Even if he is shut down for just six weeks, he would need at least a month to ramp up and be in game shape. As a result, the Mets should reunite with this $16 million pitcher.
José Quintana spent the last two seasons with the Mets and pitching at Citi Field. He posted a 3.57 ERA in 13 starts in 2023 and a 3.75 ERA in 31 starts in 2024. The Mets know exactly what they would be getting from him as he struck out 7.1 batters per nine innings in both seasons.
Signing Quintana makes sense for the Mets not only because he’s pitched there before. The Mets have a World-Series-or-bust mentality this season, and Quintana would certainly take them one step closer to that than the likes of Paul Blackburn or Griffin Canning.
Mets fans will vividly remember Noah Syndergaard missing five months of the 2017 season when he tore his lat muscle. Montas just has a strain, but it’s labeled as a high-grade strain — meaning it’s much closer to a tear than merely being sore.
Quintana’s market value is $16 million over two years, so they would pay him just $8 million per year. Realistically, the Mets could sign him to a one-year deal and then re-evaluate things if and when Montas is healthy and ready to pitch in 2025.
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