After they agreed with right-handed starter Frankie Montas on a two-year contract Sunday night, it would not at all be surprising to see the New York Mets continue to explore short-term deals for their rotation.

It’s too early in the offseason to rule anything out completely, but as The Athletic noted last week, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is not naturally inclined to go long-term with starting pitchers. Also, the Mets had success last year with short-term deals. Thus, people around the league, particularly those who know Stearns well, have wondered whether the Mets feel emboldened by the idea of focusing on depth, trusting their processes and leaning into what worked for them.

Beyond Montas, the Mets have cast a wide net regarding other potential options. They are among the teams to have spoken with former New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes about becoming a starting pitcher, a league source said. Like many others, they have some interest in Walker Buehler. They’re also one of the teams that have talked with Michael Soroka about competing in spring training for a starter job. Other names to keep in mind in the future include starters such as Griffin Canning and Patrick Sandoval, who is unlikely to return until midseason or later. And that’s just a few free-agent options. There are more. And other potential paths exist in the trade market.

The Mets’ rotation includes just Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Montas. The Mets might at times use a six-man rotation, in part to accommodate Senga (Montas’ numbers were better with extra rest, too). They have other depth options such as Tylor Megill, and they’ll eventually have Paul Blackburn available. Clearly, there’s room for more additions.

Montas’ signing might have provided a hint regarding where the Mets might continue to look for help. And though risk is involved with bounce-back options and similar short-term deals, the Mets have reason to feel confident about their process. Before Stearns’ arrival, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner had some success with Taijuan Walker. Stearns’ track record of maximizing value on pitchers runs long. The success stories of Sean Manaea and Luis Severino last season only further added to that. Also, the Mets, under Stearns, Hefner, vice president of pitching Eric Jagers and others, have continued to add to their pitching staff (assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel, who came highly regarded in the industry, is the latest example), creating what they probably believe to be a sound infrastructure.

Montas’ bonus

The Mets eyed Montas because they think he can help stabilize their rotation with some upside.

But he also comes with an off-the-field bonus.

Montas has a reputation for adding value to the clubhouse, people who know him well said, and that’s something the Mets might need to replace.

The Mets demonstrated last season how important it was to have a strong clubhouse. That doesn’t mean they had a group of Mr. Nice Guys. But the group featured different personalities, with most of them jelling well because of good leadership, led by Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo, among others.

One of those leaders was Manaea. It’s rare for a starting pitcher, especially one who is not a star, to be viewed as a leader. After all, they do not play every day and can fall into different routines. But people within the Mets described Manaea as a unifier, someone who could bring all corners of the clubhouse together. If the Mets do not end up re-signing Manaea, they won’t just need to replace his on-field value as their best starter in 2024. They’d also have to recoup some clubhouse presence.

Montas, a 31-year-old from the Dominican Republic, is believed to have some of the same positive qualities as Manaea as someone who should add to the cultural value in the clubhouse.

Clearly, the Mets want Montas to follow in the footsteps of Manaea (and Severino, for that matter) as players who outperformed their contracts after signing as value plays with the Mets. New York will have a plan for that, too. They’ll probably look to continue to peel away from four-seam usage while using more splitters and sinkers in leverage situations. That’s what the Milwaukee Brewers, Stearns’ former stop and an organization known for pitching development, started to do after they acquired Montas at last season’s trade deadline. The Brewers liked his stuff. They also liked how he quickly fit in. How Montas pitches ultimately will matter most, but the impact on the clubhouse matters on some level, too.

Minor-league signings

The Mets and outfielder Alex Ramírez have agreed to a minor-league deal, a league source told The Athletic. Ramirez was viewed as a top prospect for a while, but his development had stalled at Double A, particularly at the plate. Still, he had a strong market as a free agent.

The Mets also reached an agreement with right-handed pitcher Grant Hartwig on a minor-league deal, a league source told The Athletic. He will receive an invite to major-league spring training. Last year, he missed a chunk of time because of knee surgery. As a rookie in 2023, he made 28 appearances.