Reds' rival sabotaged Brewers' trade deadline plans before pivoting to Frankie Montas

The Cincinnati Reds traded starting pitcher Frankie Montas to the Milwaukee Brewers this past week. But recent reports have emerged that Montas was not the Brewers' primary target at the deadline.

Both the Brewers and fellow NL Central rival, St. Louis Cardinals, were looking to add Chicago White Sox starter Erick Fedde. Ultimately, the Cardinals were able to nab the right-hander in a three-team deal that also included the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Fedde is having a breakout-year following a one-year hiatus from the major leagues that saw him win the KBO’s MVP Award in 2023 while playing overseas in South Korea. The Las Vegas native is 7-4 on the year with a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts and boasts a 4.8 bWAR. Fedde signed a two year, $15 million deal with White Sox in December, so he’ll be part of the Cardinals rotation through next season.

Reds' rival sabotaged Brewers' trade deadline plans before pivoting to Frankie Montas

Montas, on the other hand, struggled in his only season with the Reds. The 31-year-old, who was hoping to have a bounce-back year following a disastrous stint while pitching for the New York Yankees. Montas was 4-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 19 starts.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) revealed that the Brewers were interested in acquiring Fedde. But when the Cardinals swooped in and won the Fedde sweepstakes, the Brewers were forced to go with Plan B — Frankie Montas.

Had the Cardinals been unsuccessful in their pursuit of Fedde, there’s a chance that Montas would not have been traded at the deadline. Montas expressed surprise over the transaction, and the fact that the Reds opted to trade him within the division begs the question as to whether or not any other deals for were on the table.

Thanks to the Cardinals, the Reds were able to acquire not one, but two major leauge-caliber players and $1 million in cash from the Brewers in exchange for the struggling Montas. The Cardinals sabotaging the Brewers’ plans benefitted not just themselves and the Dodgers, but arguably the Reds as well. 

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