These five teams should get more involved in the Frankie Montas rumors after the Oakland Athletics pitcher nearly tossed a no-hitter on Thursday.
The Frankie Montas rumors are going to start soaring after his recent near no hitter. He gave the Oakland Athletics eight shutout innings. The bigger story was how he carried a no-hitter until there were two outs in the eighth.
Still, the A’s somehow managed to lose the game by a score of 2-1 after a wild ninth inning where the Seattle Mariners didn’t have a single hit. Montas’ performance should still have teams looking to swing a deal for him as soon as possible.
These five pitcher-needy clubs should absolutely get involved in any Frankie Montas rumors as they hope to secure one of the best available starting pitchers this summer.
1) Frankie Montas rumors: A reunion with Chris Bassitt on the New York Mets
The New York Mets were involved in plenty of the offseason Frankie Montas rumors but eventually settled on his former A’s teammate, Chris Bassitt. A reunion in Flushing could certainly work out to his benefit.
The Mets are expected to be one of the more aggressive teams this summer. The need for a starting pitcher is there due to how many injuries they continue to suffer. They’ve been without Jacob deGrom all season and aren’t getting Max Scherzer back until this weekend. There are also questions about Carlos Carrasco’s health. In the middle of his first start back from the IL, Tylor Megill left the field early.
It’s pretty simple. The Mets have exhausted their starting pitcher depth to the point where they will need to make a trade for someone. This isn’t a season about just ending the playoff drought. This is a year where the Mets need to take advantage of everything that has gone well for them in the standings while so much else has not gone right.
Montas would be a great fit for the Mets. His presence could also allow them to move one of their weaker starters into the bullpen where he can hang around for depth and also give them multiple innings in relief to make up for their lackluster bullpen.
2) Frankie Montas rumors: Back to the Chicago White Sox again
Frankie Montas rumors are nothing new. He was traded in mid-2013 from the Boston Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox. In 2015, the White Sox sent him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The following August, he was dealt to the Athletics.
Throughout all of the movement, the only other big league team he has pitched for other than Oakland is Chicago. He made two starts and five relief appearances for them in 2015, going 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA. Little did anyone know that in 2022 they would have the need to reunite with him once again.
The White Sox rotation has been building up for years, mostly through trades for prospects. This year, they’ve gotten a lot from Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, and the flier they took on Johnny Cueto. Lucas Giolito has struggled and Lance Lynn has been roughed up since his return from the IL.
They, like the Mets, could use an upgrade in the rotation even if it means moving someone into the bullpen. They’ve already released Dallas Keuchel and probably aren’t going to get a much better performance out of Vince Velasquez, one of the depth pieces on the roster.
It may also only be a matter of time before Cueto collapses. If the White Sox are serious, they will need to upgrade the starting rotation. Montas would give them this and a guy they can keep around for another year.
3) Frankie Montas rumors: The battered St. Louis Cardinals desperately need an arm
Steven Matz and Jordan Hicks weren’t pitching well for the St. Louis Cardinals when they landed on the IL. This doesn’t mean they are fine without them. The Cardinals have been giving a variety of players a chance to start for the team. Behind three starters having very good years plus the recently returned Jack Flaherty, they will still need one more arm to secure the National League Central.
St. Louis should consider itself lucky that they play in a division with only one other viable playoff contender. The Milwaukee Brewers have slipped of late, though. The Cardinals have caught them and it’s time to step on them and take the division. A trade for Montas can help them do this.
Unlike the Mets who are getting two very good pitchers back from injury, the injured Cardinals pitchers are less talented than Montas. He’d be a midseason upgrade to consider regardless of the health of their players. But because health is a consideration, the need to land him is even more important.
After his recent gutsy start for the Athletics, the Cardinals should get on the phone with the front office out in Oakland. Montas will help complete what may turn into one of the more balanced rotations in the National League. Until then, they will remain shorthanded.
4) Frankie Montas rumors: An upgrade the Minnesota Twins could use
The Minnesota Twins added a couple of starting pitchers in the offseason. After five starts, they lost one of them, Chris Paddack, to a season-ending injury. Although some guys have stepped up big for them, they should absolutely throw their hats into the Frankie Montas rumors.
Dylan Bundy has been unproductive for Minnesota this year and there’s a clear need to upgrade over him. Chris Archer also remains a question mark. Despite the 3.44 ERA, he is just 1-3 and the owner of a 5.02 FIP after his team-leading 13 starts.
The Twins recently were caught by the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. Their stranglehold on the top spot has loosened. They are now a second-place team. That’s no place to be in a division outside of the American League East. Even with the expanded playoffs, it’s looking very likely that a team may need to win the AL Central or AL West to get into the postseason.
Montas could possibly be the ace of the Twins’ staff if he was to end up in Minnesota. As much of an unlikely destination as this may seem in some regards, this is the same club that did pay Carlos Correa to join them for a year with a likely opt-out after. The Twins need to swing big at the trade deadline. Otherwise, they just spend a lot of money on a shortstop who is warming up for another trip into free agency.
5) Frankie Montas rumors: Across the Bay to the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants have a somewhat underwhelming roster with players putting up average at best numbers. They don’t have an MVP or Cy Young candidate on the team and yet they look like one of the better clubs in baseball. A trade for Frankie Montas can remove a lot of those doubts.
The Giants are a team dealing with some starting pitcher injuries right now—like most of the teams on this list. Carlos Rodon has pitched well for them and Logan Webb has, too. But a rather weak early performance from Alex Wood and Alex Cobb along with a far worse one out of Anthony DeSclafani who has missed significant time should have the Giants aiming to improve the rotation for a more serious run.
There is zero chance the Giants can catch the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres without making some big upgrades. Settling for a wild card spot can still get them to the postseason. However, in a short series, their pitchers don’t quite match up with the other teams expected to make the postseason. Their bullpen has some holes in it but before fixing those, a trade for Montas should be something to consider.
Something about the Giants seems very average. Rather than accept their place as one of the better teams in the league, they should target a player like Montas to secure it. This might not be their year to win it all. Because Montas does have another season of control, he’s a nice fit for the 2023 roster as well. He’s only a kayak ride across the bay away.