Brewers Acquire Frankie Montas in Three-Player Deal With Reds

The Brewers have reportedly swung their second trade for pitching in just over 48 hours, with Robert Murray breaking the news that rental starter Frankie Montas is coming to Milwaukee from the division-rival Cincinnati Reds. Mark Feinsand reported that swingman Jakob Junis and outfielder Joey Wiemer are headed the other way in the deal.

Montas has made 19 starts for the Reds this year, amassing a 5.01 ERA with similar estimators in 93 1/3 innings. That output has come on the heels of a 2023 campaign that was wiped out by shoulder surgery, save for a single relief appearance for the Yankees after an activation from the injured list in the final days of the season.

The 31-year-old has returned from that injury having lost a tick of velocity from his heyday, but his four-seam fastball still averages 95.3 mph. His signature splitter has also held opponents to a .259 wOBA while inducing whiffs on 41% of swings. Montas has also added some lateral movement to his slider since he last threw it in a big-league game in 2022.

Montas enjoyed a one-and-a-half-year run as one of baseball's more effective starters while pitching for the Athletics before his trade to New York, but his upside is rather limited at this stage of his career. His swing-and-miss, walk, and quality of contact rates are all well below the league average, and his trio of fastballs lack inspiring characteristics.

The Brewers have had success in helping pitchers like Colin Rea and Bryse Wilson mix their four-seamers, sinkers, and cutters in a way that keeps hitters off-balance enough despite unassuming stuff. They acquired another pitchability type in Aaron Civale last month, and Montas falls into similar territory.

To add Montas to their staff, the Brewers dipped into positions of depth on their 40-man and active rosters, a path that looked increasingly plausible as the deadline approached. Junis was effective as a swingman since returning from the injured list last month. Wiemer got off to a slow start in Triple-A Nashville after debuting a series of swing chances in spring training and slipped down the outfield depth chart in recent months.