THAT FORMER YANKEE RIGHTY HEADS TO QUEENS

The New York Yankees are masters of hesitation, and it’s starting to wear thin. Right-hander Frankie Montas, once viewed as a potential bounce-back candidate for the Yankees, has now signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the New York Mets. The move, pending a physical, highlights a familiar story: the Yankees wait too long and miss out.

Montas, 31, wasn’t perfect last season, throwing 150.2 innings with a 4.84 ERA split between Cincinnati and Milwaukee. But the Mets see him as a critical piece of their rotation as they aim to contend in 2025. Meanwhile, the Yankees are stuck in their usual offseason malaise, watching as opportunities pass them by.

Let’s rewind. After Montas’s disastrous stint in pinstripes in 2022 and a subsequent season-and-a-half derailed by injuries, it seemed logical for the Yankees to offer him a low-risk, one-year deal for 2024. They’d rushed him back for a meaningless late-season cameo, and Montas had expressed gratitude for the team’s rehab support. It all seemed to set the stage for a reunion—one where the Yankees could bet on his upside at a bargain price.

Instead, Montas signed a $16 million deal with Cincinnati last offseason. Sure, it was a gamble for the Reds, but why weren’t the Yankees willing to take a shot at half that cost? He went on to start Opening Day for Cincinnati, struggled to a 5.01 ERA over 19 starts, and was dealt midseason to Milwaukee. With the Brewers, Montas found a groove, striking out 70 batters in 57 1/3 innings, though his ERA still hovered at 4.55.

Now, Montas is heading to Queens, where the Mets are clearly more focused on building a contender than their Bronx rivals seem to be. While the Yankees sit idle, other teams are taking calculated risks to bolster their rosters.  Now trust me, I hated the fact that Montas wasn't truthful of his injury when the Yankees brought him in. It was a bitch move to collect money from the team and then complain that he had the injury "but tried to play through it." It was bull, but now he's better. 

Let’s be clear: signing Montas again wouldn’t have guaranteed the Yankees a championship in 2025. But it’s not just about Montas—it’s about a troubling pattern of inaction and indecisiveness. This is the same Yankee team that has dragged its feet this offseason, content to rest on the laurels of mediocrity while rivals like the Mets make bold moves.

The Mets see a flawed pitcher with untapped potential and a chance to rebound. The Yankees see…nothing, apparently. They’re stuck in neutral, perpetually hesitating while players sign elsewhere.

Yankees fans deserve better. They deserve a front office willing to take better chances and build a team with urgency with good players... Montas aside. Meanwhile, the Mets are showing what it looks like to act with purpose.  Is Soto next for them?

We shall soon see.