How Frankie Montas Will Benefit From Yankees Signing Carlos Rodón

Montas enters the 2023 season as New York's No. 5 starter, an opportunity for a bounce-back season with less pressure.

Frankie Montas began his career with the Yankees under immense pressure, a trade deadline acquisition with an ace-caliber track record that was brought in to bolster the top of New York's rotation.

While his first impression in a Yankees uniform couldn't have been worse, Montas will have a chance next spring to pitch in a new role, recapturing his old form. 

Montas was acquired in a blockbuster deal this summer, a trade that sent the right-hander and reliever Lou Trivino from the Athletics to the Bronx in exchange for four prospects. Factoring in Luis Severino's injury and an additional deadline deal that sent lefty Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals, New York needed Montas to pitch at a high level right away. 

He proceeded to post a 6.35 ERA over eight starts—allowing four-plus earned runs in five of those outings—before aggravating a previous shoulder injury, finishing the regular season on the IL.

The light at the end of the tunnel for New York was that Montas had one more year of control, a full season in pinstripes and a fresh start to show what he's capable of. After all, we're talking about a pitcher that posted a 3.37 ERA over 32 starts in 2021, finishing sixth on the AL Cy Young ballot. 

With that clean slate looming next spring, Montas will be pitching in an environment that fosters his success. Not only is he more accustomed to the weight of pinstripes and the expectations from this fan base—distancing himself from his shoulder injury—but he's projected to pitch in the fifth and final spot of New York's starting staff.

The addition of Carlos Rodón in free agency pushes Nestor Cortes, Severino and Montas down one slot, making up for the departure of Jameson Taillon and then some. It has to be comforting for Montas to know that the Yankees don't need him to be an ace in 2023, right?

There will still be plenty of pressure for Montas to perform. That's not going away as long as he's a Yankee. The boo birds will be out in the Bronx if he struggles to start the year. But pairing Rodón with Gerrit Cole takes the focus away from the right-hander. Had New York signed a lower-level starter or stuck with their internal options to replace Taillon—like Domingo Germán or Clarke Schmidt—then the bottom of the rotation would've been under a microscope as soon as New York reported to spring training.

To put it another way, when the biggest question mark in your rotation is Montas, you're in pretty good shape. He hasn't shown it in pinstripes yet, but Montas has the stuff to pitch like a top-of-the-line starter. If he can stay healthy and put it together, he'll truly give the Yankees the best rotation in baseball.  

MORE:

• After Missing on Andrew Benintendi, Yankees Must Pivot to Find Starting Left Fielder
• What Signing Carlos Rodón Means For Yankees' Starting Rotation
• With Carlos Rodón, Yankees Continue Making Most of Their Financial Might

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