Yankees Acquire Montas, Trivino From Athletics
The evil empire in the Bronx is back to their free spending ways.
On the eve of the 2022 trade deadline, the New York Yankees have acquired right-handers Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino from the Oakland Athletics.
In return, the Yankees are sending LHP Ken Waldichuk, RHP Luis Medina, LHP J.P. Sears and 2B Cooper Bowman. All four players were featured among the organization’s top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
Montas, who’ll be eligible for free agency after next season, was considered one of the top starters on the trade market. Now, the 29-year-old joins a starting rotation that’s headlined by ace Gerrit Cole.
With Luis Severino currently injured with a lat strain, Montas can serve as his replacement until he returns, likely pushing Domingo German to the bullpen. The team could shift to a six-man unit when Severino returns, allowing Jordan Montgomery, Jameson Taillon and Nestor Cortes to remain in the rotation. Either way, the Yankees are adding another talented arm to the mix.
This season, the 6’2” hurler has posted a 3.18 ERA, a 3.70 xERA and a 2.0 fWAR across 104.2 innings in 19 starts. For his career, he’s logged 552.2 innings between the Athletics and Chicago White Sox, registering a 3.73 ERA and a 9.8 fWAR rating.
Granted, Montas did suffer a shoulder injury earlier this season, which caused him to miss some time. However, the explosive righty has made a pair of starts since then, suggesting he’s put that setback behind him.
The Yankees have also added some additional bullpen depth by acquiring Trivino, who’s under team control through 2024. He’s earning $3 million this season and possesses two more years of arbitration eligibility.
Trivino spent his entire major-league career in Oakland, appearing in 260 career games. The 30-year-old recorded 36 saves and 50 holds during his tenure with the Athletics.
The veteran righty hasn’t fared overly well in 2022, posting a career-worst 6.47 ERA in 32.0 innings. But he remains a quality strikeout pitcher, as evident by his 28.7 percent strikeout rate, and he could perform better with improved defenders behind him.
That wasn’t the only bullpen acquisition the Yankees made on Monday, either. The club acquired reliever Scott Effross earlier in the day, sending prospect Hayden Wesneski to the Chicago Cubs.
After losing key arms like Michael King and Chad Green earlier this season, paired with Zack Britton’s uncertain health and Aroldis Chapman’s inconsistencies, general manager Brian Cashman has now dramatically reinforced his pitching staff.
Cashman also acquired outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals last week, inserting another reliable bat into the mix.
Better yet, the front office made all these moves without surrendering any of its premier prospects – including shortstops Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza and outfielder Jasson Domínguez. That’s some grade-A level business.
New York paid a hefty price to acquire Montas and Trivino, however, the team is now well-positioned for a deep playoff run this fall.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85