Frankie Mantas will be bringing his talents to Milwaukee after the Brewers acquired the starting pitcher from the Reds on Monday night. The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed the news..
The right-hander will join an injury-hit Brewers starting lineup after signing a one-year deal with the Reds in the offseason.
Milwaukee will send outfielder Joey Weimer and right-handed pitcher Jacob Janis to the plate. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Montas has started 19 games for the Reds this season, posting a 5.01 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 93 1/3 innings, but his performance hasn’t been particularly outstanding this year.
He started well in his new home in the Midwest, posting a 3.36 ERA through his first six starts, but then his form dropped off to a 5.56 ERA.
New York baseball fans will likely remember Montas’s run with the Yankees in a less-than-stellar way after the team acquired him at the 2022 MLB trade deadline.
The longtime Athletics starter acknowledged he wasn’t fully healthy when the Yankees acquired him, and he posted a 6.35 ERA in eight starts that season before undergoing shoulder surgery in February.
Montas will then miss almost the entire 2023 season.
Still, the Yankees are considering bringing him back ahead of this season, and Montas acknowledged that it was in the plans during a visit to the Bronx with the Reds earlier this month.
“We definitely considered it,” Montas said, “but it didn’t work out. That’s the business side of baseball.”
Milwaukee is looking to maintain control of the National League Central Division and will be looking to get Montas back to his early-season form.
The Brewers entered Monday with a six-game lead in the division.
During a visit to the Bronx this month, Montas expressed confidence that he has grown since his tough time with the Yankees.
“Every time I step on the mound I feel better,” Montas said at the time. “My arm feels better, I’m pitching better, and it’s only going to get better from here.”
