The Mets haven’t even reached their first spring training game, and they’re already dealing with a significant blow to their starting rotation. Frankie Montas, one of their key offseason additions, will be sidelined for at least 6–8 weeks with a high-grade lat strain. For a team that took a calculated risk on Montas despite his injury history, this is a brutal way to start the year.
The Montas Gamble Already Backfiring
Montas inked a two-year, $34 million deal this offseason, with a 2026 player option that could extend his stay. The Mets were betting on his upside, despite the fact that he posted a 4.84 ERA last season between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. They were hoping for a bounce-back year, but now, they’ll be lucky if he can ramp up in time to contribute before the summer months roll around. Given his track record of durability issues, this isn’t exactly reassuring.
Clay Holmes: A Reliever Turned Starter?
With Montas down, the Mets are now in a tough spot, relying on a bullpen arm attempting to transition into a starter role. Clay Holmes, who spent the last three seasons as a dominant Yankees reliever, is now penciled in as the team’s number four starter. Holmes has been a rock in the bullpen, tossing 63 innings each of the last three seasons, but expecting him to suddenly carry a starter’s workload is a massive leap of faith.
Holmes himself has stated he wants to hit 160 innings in 2025. That’s an ambitious goal for a pitcher who has never even cracked 70 innings in a season. His arsenal consists primarily of a sinker-slider mix, which has been highly effective in short bursts, but the question remains whether he can maintain that effectiveness when stretched out over five or six innings per start.
The Mets May Have to Look Elsewhere
The Mets could try to ride it out and hope their rotation depth holds up, but the early signs aren’t promising. If things go south quickly, they may be forced to explore the trade market for another starter. Losing one of their key offseason signings before spring training games have even begun is a tough pill to swallow, and it puts even more pressure on a rotation that already had plenty of question marks.
- Mets could add former champion for rotation support
- Mets can officially chase Blue Jays superstar in free agency next fall
- The Mets might have something truly special developing in the batting order
This wasn’t the plan for New York, but they may have no choice but to adjust on the fly.