Frankie Montas Injury Makes Carlos Rodon Essential to Yankees Rotation

Wednesday, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Frankie Montas will have shoulder surgery Feb. 21 that will sideline him for the majority of the 2023 MLB season. With Montas on the shelf, the Yankees will need Carlos Rodon to live up to his six-year, $162 million contract.

Wednesday, pitchers and catchers reported to spring training for most Major League Baseball clubs. The New York Yankees shared some bad news.

Aaron Boone told reporters Wednesday that Frankie Montas will undergo shoulder surgery Tues., Feb. 21, and will miss the majority of the 2023 season.

With hopes of adding a frontline starter to their rotation for the postseason, the Yankees dealt their no. 5, no. 10, no. 20 and no. 21 prospects to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Montas. The club had shown interest in Cincinnati Reds starter Luis Castillo, but did not offer the Reds the same kind of prospect package that the Seattle Mariners did. Instead, the Yankees pursued Montas, who went 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA in eight starts for the club down the stretch of the 2022 season. Now, he might not pitch in his first full season with the Bronx Bombers.

With Montas on the shelf, the Yankees targeted another top of the rotation type starter over the winter in Carlos Rodon, who they signed to a six-year, $162 million contract in Dec.

The Yankees have given up a lot in prospect capital and money for Montas and Rodon. Rodon is going to need to live up to expectations in 2023. He finished top-6 in AL and NL Cy Young Award voting respectively over the last two seasons. He was named an All-Star both seasons.

Last year Nestor Cortes broke out as a star behind Gerrit Cole. Domingo German and Luis Severino have proven themselves to be very good back-end of the rotation arms. Rodon gives the Yankees a chance to have one of the best rotations in the American League, if he continues where he left off in 2022.

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