Mets' Updated Rotation, Payroll After Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes Contracts in MLB FA

The New York Mets have bolstered their rotation this week by signing Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes in free agency.

The Mets signed Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal with an opt-out after 2025 on Wednesday, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

New York then added Holmes on a three-year, $38 contract with an opt-out after 2026, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Friday.

The Mets had just over $140 million in current 2025 payroll allocations, and $168 in projected total allocations, prior to signing Holmes, according to Spotrac.

Holmes is projected to take on a starting role with the Mets as the team works to rebuild its rotation following the departures of Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and José Quintana in free agency.

Kodai Senga is currently set to lead the rotation for a second straight season, while Montas, Holmes, Tylor Megill, David Peterson and Paul Blackburn will compete for spots behind him.

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Mets' Projected 2025 Rotation

1. Kodai Senga
2. Frankie Montas
3. Clay Holmes
4. David Peterson
5. Paul Blackburn
6. Tyler Megill

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The Mets are also preparing for the arrival of top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat. The right-hander was named the Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year after finishing the 2024 season as one of the top 40 prospects in baseball.

New York may still want to bolster this rotation with an experienced starter in a trade or free agency.

The good news is that the Mets have the salary to sign another starter. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns noted at the end of the 2024 season that his club had "financial flexibility" heading into the winter.

"It means that pretty much the entirety of the player universe is potentially accessible to us," Stearns said.

The Mets ended the season with more than $356 million on the 2024 payroll including luxury taxes, but with just about $150 million committed for 2025, per SNY's Danny Abriano.

How much salary the Mets could potentially use to add another starting pitcher will depend in large part on what decision Juan Soto makes in free agency.

The club, alongside the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, is one of the reported finalists to sign the star outfielder in free agency.

Soto could potentially earn a record-setting $700 million in free agency. Should they win the bidding war, the Mets would be limited in their pursuit of other free-agent pitchers going forward. That would leave this projected rotation, led by Senga and potentially later joined by Sproat, as the blueprint for the 2025 season.