Monty still in mix to be in Mets’ rotation
If the Mets fifth starter role is in fact a competition, then Joey Lucchesi has the inside track. But Luis Rojas still sees Mike Montgomery as a viable option to join the Mets rotation.
According to the Mets skipper, the organization still views the veteran swingman as a starter candidate.
“We talked about the competition,” said Rojas.
“That’s still very much alive with (Montgomery) going (Sunday).”
Rojas also believes Montgomery could work in relief even if he isn’t fifth on the team’s rotation depth chart on Opening Day.
“This guy’s been one of those hybrids,” said Rojas. “He’s thrown the ball really well in camp. And, you know, we’re evaluating him for both.”
Montgomery did his best work with the Chicago Cubs’ deep, contending teams during the latter half of the last decade, owning a fluid role inducing grounders between the rotation and bullpen. The southpaw threw 38 starts from 2016-2018, pitching to a 3.81 ERA that Fangraphs measured as 8% better than the league average across that span. In relief,
Montgomery had a 3.10 ERA over 101.2 innings in Chicago and famously got the final out of the 2016 World Series, ending the Cubs’ 107-year title drought.
After struggling his last two seasons in Chicago and Kansas City, Montgomery signed a minor league deal with the Mets this spring. The organization sought to stretch him out so he could offer added depth to their rotation, a decision that has already come in handy with Carlos Carrasco’s hamstring tear eliminating him from the early part of the season.
Right now, the Mets have Jacob deGrom going on Opening Day against the Nationals — his third straight — with veteran right-handers Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker lined up behind the Mets ace. Second-year pitcher David Peterson is likely to nail down the fourth spot in the rotation after a successful rookie year and impressive spring.
Jordan Yamamoto was the closest competition for Montgomery and Lucchesi for the final spot in the rotation, but he was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. Lucchesi could also take his turn every fifth day without being an official starter, pairing with an opener deployed against the best hitters in the opposing lineup their first time through the order.