NEW YORK -- Much of what the Mets built in their rotation last year, they built on prove-it deals. Rather than invest in big-name free agents at the tops of their games, the Mets added Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, two starting pitchers with checkered histories who wound up turning into bargains.

President of baseball operations David Stearns appears to be employing a similar strategy, at least in part, this winter. The Mets signed right-hander Frankie Montas -- a talented pitcher with a lengthy injury history, whose two-year agreement is similar to Manaea¡¯s a year ago -- the club announced on Wednesday. The deal, which is for $34 million, according to sources, includes an opt-out after 2025.

¡°We are excited to bring Frankie into the organization and add a quality arm to our major league rotation,¡± Stearns said in a statement. ¡°Throughout his career, Frankie has flashed some of the best stuff in the game. He¡¯ll provide a stabilizing presence to our pitching staff and can contribute on and off the field.¡±

Montas is the first significant free-agent signing for the Mets, who entered the offseason determined to fill out a pitching staff that lost three-fifths of its rotation to free agency. He joins Kodai Senga and David Peterson in the projected starting five, with a few depth options available beyond those three. Stearns has said he expects to add multiple starters on big league deals this winter, meaning the Mets won¡¯t be done after signing Montas. Of note, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried remain available, along with a plethora of lesser options.

It remains to be seen if the Mets will look to the top of the market to fill out their rotation or seek additional deals in the mold of Montas -- a 31-year-old who finished sixth in American League Cy Young voting in 2021 but missed almost the entire ¡®23 season due to a right shoulder injury.

Montas bounced back with a full season this year in Cincinnati and Milwaukee, making 30 regular-season starts and, following a midseason trade to the Brewers, pitching effectively against the Mets in the National League Wild Card Series. But his overall body of work was below his usual standard, in large part due to subpar command. Montas did run his fastball back up to an average of 95 mph, just a tick below his career norms.

The Mets are betting on that ceiling. When Montas is right, he has not looked out of place amongst the game¡¯s top starters, but he has rarely managed to hold that perch long. In 2022, the A¡¯s traded Montas to the Yankees after a terrific start in Oakland (3.18 ERA in 19 starts), but his tenure in the Bronx did not go as planned. The right-hander posted a 6.35 ERA over eight starts down the stretch while battling the right shoulder injury that would eventually require surgery.

After missing nearly all of 2023, Montas signed a one-year, $16 million contract with the Reds. That included a 2025 mutual option, which Montas declined after going 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA in Cincinnati and Milwaukee.

It was not quite the rebound season Montas wanted, though he did stay healthy outside of a short stint on the injured list to address a right forearm contusion. Montas¡¯ 30 starts and 150 2/3 innings were the second-highest totals of his career, behind only his 32 starts and 187 innings in 2021 with the A¡¯s.

Breaking things down further, Montas¡¯ surface numbers were not much different last year with the Reds (5.01 ERA, 88 ERA+) and the Brewers (4.55 ERA, 92 ERA+), but it¡¯s worth noting that his strikeout rate jumped from 19.0 to 28.7 percent after joining Milwaukee. The latter figure ranked among qualified Major League pitchers after the Trade Deadline.

Montas worked with a five-pitch mix in 2024, throwing his four-seamer, sinker, cutter, splitter and slider each at least 10 percent of the time. His most dangerous pitch is his splitter, which induced a whiff on 42.6 percent of opponents¡¯ swings.

Whether he can parlay all that into a Manaea- or Severino-style renaissance remains to be seen. Mets officials, with their pitching lab in Port St. Lucie, Fla., will be eager to get their hands on another bona fide bounce-back candidate -- and will be keen to add at least one more arm around him in the rotation.