Free-agent starting pitcher Frankie Montas has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds worth $16 million, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Montas is expected to slot into a Reds rotation that should also feature Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, and fellow free-agent signing Nick Martinez.
Montas, 30, is coming off a forgettable — at best — stint with the Yankees that could probably be framed as “disastrous” from their perspective. On deadline day in 2022, the Yankees acquired Montas and Lou Trivino from the A’s for four players, including JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk and Luis Medina. In 2022, Montas made eight starts for the Yankees and posted a 6.35 ERA with a 1.54 WHIP. He then dealt with shoulder inflammation in 2023 to the point that he needed surgery. He finally returned at the end of September for 1 1/3 innings. He ends his Yankees career with -0.6 WAR.
CBS Sports ranked Montas as the 48th best free agent available this winter. Here’s what we wrote at the time:
Montas was one of the top starters available at the 2022 trade deadline. He’s pitched nine times since, including just once last year. (He has a 6.15 ERA in those appearances.) Montas’ only appearance in 2023, an audition to prove he had recovered from shoulder surgery, saw his fastball click in about 1.5 mph slower than usual. Hm. Given that Montas’ game was built around power, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll be nearly as effective heading forward — and that’s without considering the health factor. We’re ranking Montas because someone will gamble on him being a contributor on a one-year deal.
The Reds, who narrowly missed the playoffs last season, are no doubt hoping that Montas can return to his old form.
Montas was having a sensational season in 2019 for the A’s. He was headed to the All-Star Game and possibly had a chance to start the Midsummer Classic. But he tested positive for a banned substance (PED) and was suspended for 80 games. He finished 9-2 with a 2.63 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 96 innings that season. In his 11 starts in 2020, he had a 5.60 ERA. In 2021, though, Montas was good enough to finish sixth in AL Cy Young voting. He was 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 187 innings. He had a 3.18 ERA in 104 2/3 innings in 2022 before the trade to the Yankees, too.
Which version of Montas appears during this deal? He has All-Star upside, but there’s been plenty of bad, too, including getting popped for PEDs in the middle of a playoff season.
