Impulsive Reds-Brewers trade may cost Milwaukee dearly in NL Wild Card Series

A somewhat forgotten trade took place earlier this summer. The MLB trade deadline was rather uninspiring this year with Jack Flaherty being arguably the biggest name moved prior to July 30th. But that doesn't mean that some teams aren't having buyers remorse.

One of those teams may very well be the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cincinnati Reds traded their Opening Day starter, Frankie Montas, to the Brew Crew earlier this season in exchange for Jakob Junis and Joey Wiemer.

While Wiemer had a cup of coffee with the Reds this season, Junis became a key piece of the Cincinnati starting rotation down the stretch. After numerous injuries befell the Reds rotation, Junis stepped in and started four games during the month of September. In those four outings, the right-hander logged 21 innings and struck out 17 batters while allowing just four runs. It's a good bet that the Brewers wish they still had Junis on the roster ahead of Wednesday's NL Wild Card Game against the New York Mets.

Reds-Brewers trade involving Frankie Montas may cost Milwaukee dearly in NL Wild Card Series

The Brewers play host to the Mets for Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series and need to win today or else they'll be packing their bags. The Mets took down the Brewers 8-4 in Game 1 on Tuesday and are just one win away from advancing to the NLDS to play the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Brewers will turn to Montas to be their Game 2 starter, and that may not end well for the fans in attendance at American Family Field. Montas was average at best during his time with the Reds this season. And while many of the Cincinnati starters credited Montas for his leadership and approach to the game, the results matter.

In 11 starts for Milwaukee this season, Montas is 3-3 with a 4.55 ERA. The right-hander has 70 strikeouts in 57.1 innings pitched, but during the month of September, Montas' numbers have only gotten worse. The veteran was 1-2 in five starts last month with a 5.55 ERA and 5.39 FIP. Montas is getting hit hard as well, allowing an opponent slugging percentage of .483.

If you'll remember, the Brewers panicked near the trade deadline after the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a trade for Erick Fedde and wound up swinging a deal with Cincinnati for Montas. Perhaps, had the Brewers stood pat and held onto Junis, they'd be sitting in a much better spot ahead of Wednesday's must-win affair.

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