Frankie Montas ready for chance to be Mets’ latest pitching success

Frankie Montas communicated with two members of the Mets’ pitching staff from last season after the team began showing interest in him as a free agent. 

Sean Manaea and Luis Severino, according to Montas, provided strong reviews of the organization and the potential for improvement under the guidance of the Mets staff. 

“The way they do stuff, the way they prepare guys, the way they help with your recovery — all the resources they have to improve your game,” Montas said Friday on a Zoom call after last week agreeing to a two-year contract with the Mets worth $34 million that contains an opt-out after the first season. “I’m definitely excited for next year and see how they can improve my game.” 

Montas, 31, split last season with the Reds and Brewers, pitching to a 4.84 ERA in 30 starts.

The right-hander logged 150 ²/₃ innings in which he struck out 148 batters. 

Manaea (a free agent whom Montas called one of his best friends from their days pitching together with the A’s) and Severino (who agreed to a three-year deal worth $67 million with the A’s this week) were two such low-risk, high-reward options the Mets added last winter who yielded significant returns. 

Montas, who averaged 95.3 mph with his fastball last season, was encouraged by the manner in which he pitched after arriving to the Brewers at the trade deadline.

In 11 starts for the club, he struck out 70 batters in 57 ¹/₃ innings and recorded a 4.55 ERA. 

A season earlier, Montas underwent shoulder surgery with the Yankees and appeared in only one game. 

“The biggest adjustment that I made was just trusting my arm,” Montas said. “It kind of took me a couple of months to trust myself and stop telling myself, ‘You don’t want to get hurt.’ The biggest [adjustment] I made was probably my mental game and telling my arm, ‘Whatever you had is fixed,’ and just go out there and let it eat. 

“I think that is when you see increased velocity. My arm angle was higher just because I wasn’t afraid to throw, and for the last two months I was in Milwaukee, I was definitely getting back to my old self. Just throwing the ball and trusting my stuff and feeling good, finally having a healthy arm.” 

Kodai Senga and David Peterson appear set for rotation spots, along with Montas and Clay Holmes (with whom the Mets reached agreement Friday on a three-year contract worth $38 million).

The Mets’ plan is to convert Holmes from a reliever into a starter.

Tylor Megill, Paul Blackburn and Jose Butto are among the other starting options, but the team is expected to add further rotation pieces. 

Senga’s return from injuries that caused him to miss almost all of last regular season raises the possibility the Mets could employ a six-man rotation — the team has used that tactic at various points in order to provide extra rest for the Japanese right-hander. 

Montas was asked if he favors a lengthened rotation. 

“I would probably pitch better with an extra day, but I am trying to squeeze as many innings as I can and I like to go out there every five days,” Montas said. “I like to hold myself accountable, and I kind of take pride in taking the ball every five days. … I didn’t really have a conversation with them about that. I hope I stay on the five-day schedule.” 

Montas, who pitched against the Mets in last season’s wild-card round, said it’s obvious to him the team’s chances of success for next season are great. 

“That’s a team hungry to win,” he said. “They want to win the World Series. What they showed this year, they just let you know they are coming for everything.”