Frankie Says Relax

At the 2022 MLB trade deadline, the New York Yankees acquired Oakland Athletics’ ace Frankie Montas in a deal that bolsters the starting rotation. Montas, 29, came over in a package that included A’s teammate Lou Trivino for Yankees prospects JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk, Luis Medina, and Cooper Bowman.

With All-Star Gerrit Cole’s recent struggles, Luis Severino’s injury, Jameson Taillon’s ineffectiveness, and Jordan Montgomery’s trade, Montas provides a serious lift to a fatigued rotation. On the season, his win-loss record is not impressive, standing at 4-9 in 19 starts, but his ERA of 3.18 and ability to stay healthy are promising. That ERA is good for second-best behind emerging star Nestor Cortes, but the 3.18 mark is better than the combined rotation total of 3.45.

Early in his career, Montas struggled to make his mark, pitching to a 4.80 ERA in 2015 and a 7.03 ERA in 2017. In 2018, he finally caught on as a starter with a record of 5-4 and a 3.88 ERA in 11 starts. Since 2019, he has never looked back.

In that regard, Montas has established himself as a frontline starter in the past few seasons. He posted a 9-2 record with a 2.63 ERA in just 16 starts in 2019, finished sixth in the Cy Young voting last year with a 13-9 record and 3.37 ERA, and has a respectable career ERA of 3.73. Despite the shortened 2020 season and some control issues earlier in his career, he has been very reliable and effective. On this current Yankees rotation, he will be the solid number two starter behind Cole and one of the main pieces in the postseason rotation.

However, some issues have prevented him from sustaining his success. During the 2019 season, he was suspended 80 games for testing positive for a banned substance, ending his career year prematurely. In this 2022 campaign, he has dealt with some shoulder tightness and inflammation and was removed from a game earlier this season as a precaution after being hit by a line drive in the hand.

One of the secondary factors the Yankees had for bringing in the veteran righty is their control over him. Montas is not a rental and will be with the team through 2023. If the next season and a half go according to plan, he can build a case for a huge contract and prove himself as a winner. The expectation is that he will not only strengthen the starting rotation but be a vital piece of a championship run or two.

Mow ‘Em Down, Montas

As Montas embarks on the pinstriped portion of his career, an important storyline to follow is the potential rematch with the Houston Astros in the postseason. In the only start of his postseason career in 2020, he was knocked out of the game after giving up five runs on seven hits in just 3.2 innings pitched.

Similarly, the Yankees have unfinished business with Houston, and they hope both fortunes will change should they meet the Astros again in October. But, for now, the hope remains high that the Montas magic will not run out in The Bronx as the regular season winds down.