Sep 29, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas (47) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Frankie Montas suffered an injury scare on Saturday night for the Oakland A’s. The pitcher has been shopped around for the last few months.
Montas took a line drive off his pitching hand and is considered day-to-day. The Mets had been scouting him of late, as they need a replacement in their rotation for the injured Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.
Would New York dare replace one injured starter with another?
Thankfully, Montas appears to be out short-term, rather than longer. The Athletics starter has been mentioned in trade talks for months, namely with the Chicago White Sox. The South Siders seem reluctant to include Andrew Vaughn in said conversations, though.
Frankie Montas injury: Mets, White Sox breathe easy
The Mets and Athletics have a history here, as they already combined earlier this year on a trade that brought Chris Bassitt to Queens. Who would’ve thought Montas might be next?
At the time, New York surely thought their rotation was solid enough. And they’d be right…when all parties involved are healthy, of course. For now, they lack the necessary depth to outlast the current injury storm that comes when players the caliber of Scherzer and deGrom are out.
As for the White Sox, they’ve been lacking all season on the pitching side, especially with Lance Lynn until at least mid-June. Including Vaughn could be the final test should they wish to make an upgrade to their staff.