Yankees: Frankie Montas debut comes at incredibly ironic time

The New York Yankees bolstered their starting rotation with the addition of Frankie Montas shortly before the MLB trade deadline.

The New York Yankees missed out on Luis Castillo at this year’s trade deadline. They paid for that dearly on Wednesday afternoon as the former Cincinnati Reds ace was lights out in his debut for the Seattle Mariners.

But, the Yankees didn’t just grab their ball and go home. Brian Cashman worked out a deal with the Oakland A’s to bring Frankie Montas to the Bronx. Compared to the deal between the Reds and Mariners, Cashman gave up very little as only one New York’s top 5 prospects went back to the Bay Area as part of the deal.

But much like Mariners rubbed salt into the Yankees wounds on Wednesday by starting Castillo, New York will return the favor to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yanks travel to the Gateway City later this week and it looks like Montas will be making his debut in pinstripes on Sunday according to Jack Curry of YES Network.

Frankie Montas’ New York Yankees debut comes at incredibly ironic time.

The St. Louis Cardinals will get a front row to Frankie Montas’ first start with his new tea, except he’ll be in the opposing team’s dugout. The Cardinals were thought to be serious contenders for Montas’ services at this year’s MLB trade deadline, but the Yankees swooped in an secured the right-hander before the floodgates opened on Tuesday.

Montas wasn’t on the only deadline target the Cardinals missed out on. Rumor had it that St. Louis had their sights set on Juan Soto as well. The former Washington Nationals’ slugger was eventually dealt to the San Diego Padres for quite the haul; something the Cards’ front office was unwilling to offer.

The Cardinals eventually turned to their division rival, the Pittsburgh Pirates, in order to upgrade their starting rotation at the deadline. St. Louis added Jose Quintana in exchange for a young pitcher in Johan Oviedo and a top infield prospect.

In another ironic twist, it’s highly likely that Harrison Bader will be patrolling center field in Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon. But Bader will be wearing a Yankees jersey. The Cardinals shipped the centerfielder to New York in order to add another starter in southpaw Jordan Montgomery.