Mets DFA Frankie Montas before final year of 2-year, $34M deal

NEW YORK -- Frankie Montas’ turbulent Mets tenure will end after only nine appearances.

The Mets designated Montas for assignment on Tuesday, cutting ties with a player who wasn’t going to be healthy enough to pitch anyway. The move is mostly procedural; Montas underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of the regular season and will miss all of 2026. He subsequently exercised the $17 million player option on his contract.

The Mets will pay Montas that money regardless, but because he’s no longer in the organization, he won’t rehab at Citi Field or the team’s Spring Training complex. The transaction clears a 40-man roster spot for the Mets, who also selected outfielder No. 16 prospect Nick Morabito to the roster in a corresponding move on Tuesday.

Last winter, the Mets signed Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal in hopes that he could steady their rotation alongside fellow acquisitions Clay Holmes and Griffin Canning. The 32-year-old Montas was coming off a healthy season that saw him go 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA for the Reds and Brewers. But he tore his right lat muscle in Spring Training and did not return until June 24.

When he did, Montas proved ineffective, producing a 6.68 ERA over seven starts. The Mets subsequently moved him to the bullpen, where Montas made two appearances before tearing the UCL in his right elbow.

Montas has bounced around between six teams over 10 big league seasons, going 47-48 with a 4.20 ERA.