Right-hander Frankie Montas and the New York Mets have agreed to terms on a two-year, $34 million deal, sources told ESPN on Sunday night, adding a veteran to what is expected to be a depleted roster in their first signing as a free agent will be a busy winter.

The 31-year-old Montas joins Kodai Senga and David Peterson as Mets starters after Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana reached free agency. While a reunion with one of the three pitchers who anchored New York’s playoff rotation isn’t out of the question, the Mets traded for Montas, who can opt out of the deal after the first season – which is still pending.

Montas has shown flashes of potential as a frontline starter, with a splitter, slider and cutter to complement a fastball that hits around 96 mph. Cincinnati gave him a one-year, $16 million contract last year, even though Montas pitched just 1⅓ innings in 2023 after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The Reds eventually traded Montas to Milwaukee, and he finished the season with a 4.84 ERA over 150⅔ innings, allowing 148 strikeouts, 66 walks, and 24 home runs.

With the free agency of the three pitchers, first baseman Pete Alonso, designated hitter JD Martinez, outfielder Harrison Bader and the cessation of payments on the salaries of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the Mets have about $150 million from their payroll from last season saved.

They remain among the favorites to sign superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who shares an agent, Scott Boras, with Montas. New York has had discussions about a variety of free agents beyond Soto, although signing him to a record deal wouldn’t stop the Mets from pursuing other big names.

New York made a surprising entry into the National League Championship Series. In a year where the Mets were supposed to be rebuilding, they snuck into the playoffs with a furious run late in the season, edging out Milwaukee in the Wild Card round, defeating Philadelphia in the Division Series and edging out the NLCS six games against the finalist world champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Starting pitching was an essential part of their run. Despite being without Senga, their Opening Day starter, for most of the season, the Mets finished with a starter’s ERA of 3.91 and got better-than-expected seasons from Manaea, Severino and Quintana, all of whom were signed to similar short-term contracts like Montas.