The St. Louis Cardinals added right-hander Erick Fedde in a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox Monday, and the Milwaukee Brewers countered with right-hander Frankie Montas.
Montas, 31, made one relief appearance in 2023 due to a shoulder injury but has bounced back somewhat with the Cincinnati Reds in 2024.
Montas’ 95 mph fastball velocity has held steady most of the season with only standard deviations from outing to outing, suggesting he’s healthy, of nothing else. His splitter remains a strikeout weapon (41% whiff), but his cutter, which he throws more than his slider, has been lit up this season (.388 BAA, .694 SLGA).
Despite the overall splitter success, lefties have hit him hard — .277/.370/.508m 11 HR — and he’s had some issues finishing off hitters once he gets to two strikes, explaining his rather ordinary 19% strikeout rate. His control and command appear to be the main culprits of his lack of impact performance, however. It’s a 10% walk rate, nearly 2% above his career mark and nearly 3% over his walk rates his final two years in Oakland.
The raw stuff is better than the results, which may be music to the Brewers’ ears and why they went this route rather than that of Blake Snell, Jack Flaherty, or even Garrett Crochet, particularly when considering what Montas cost the club.
Montas will be a free agent after the season, though both player and club have a $20 million option for 2025. The option comes with a $2 million buyout, putting the Brewers on the hook for around $7,5 million in total.
Heading to Cincinnati in the deal are two major leaguers in outfielder Joey Wiemer and right-handed swing arm Jakob Junis. The 25-year-old Wiemer, currently in the minors, is a right-handed hitter with big raw power, plus speed, and above-average defense in center, But there’s a ton of swing-and-miss to consider thanks to average bat speed, a lengthy swing, and below-average plate skills.
Wiemer has just over a year of service, handing the Reds five years of club control.
Junis, 31, is an interesting swing arm capable of pitching in middle or long relief and jumping into the rotation for a spot start. His velocity is down a tick in 2024, but he’s pounding the zone and outperforming his runs-allowed metrics to a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings.
Junis made just one appearance (start) prior to June 22 due to multiple injuries, including being hit in the neck by a struck ball during batting practice.
Junis’ mutual option for 2025 is worth $8 million and comes with a $3 million buyout, clearly a move to offset some of Montas’ salary heading to Milwaukee.
If the Brewers find a way to get better command from Montas, this is a steal, considering they carry a seven-game division lead into Tuesday’s games and are almost certain to compete in the postseason.
Wiemer has a chance to add value, even if he doesn’t hit for average, but he struggled so immensely in his short time in the bigs this season, that the Brewers had to send him back to Triple-A.
Junis could be on the move again, perhaps to a club looking to shore up the middle of their bullpen, but the Reds getting a toolsy young player with several control years and shaving some payroll they hopefully utilize this winter is a sound decision.
TRADE GRADES (20-80 Scale)
Milwaukee: 55
Cincinnati: 55
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