Reds start deadline sale by trading Frankie Montas to division rival

Just as Jake Fraley caught the final out of the Cincinnati Reds' 7-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs, it was reported that starting pitcher Frankie Montas was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. It's very odd to see inter-divisional trades, but they do happen. This particular deal brought two players back to Cincinnati.

Montas signed a one-year deal with the Reds during the offseason after an injury-riddled campaign with the New York Yankees. The Reds were hoping for Montas to return to the player who dominated as the ace of the Oakland A's rotation in 2021, but the right-hander struggled to find consistency.

With the Reds this season, Montas was 4-8 with a 5.01 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 93.1 innings of work. Montas' advanced metrics were nothing to write home about either, ranking in the 50th percentile or lower in almost every category.

Reds trade Frankie Montas to Brewers for Joey Wiemer and Jakob Junis

The Reds will reportedly receive two players from the Brewers' organization and $1 million in cash consideration as the return for Montas. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com is reporting that outfielder Joey Wiemer and right-handed pitcher Jakob Junis will be headed back to Cincinnati. Wiemer is a right-handed hitting outfielder who played his college ball at the University of Cincinnati, while Junis is reliever with a sparkling 2.42 ERA on the season.

The Reds maintain control over both Wiemer and Junis heading into next season. Wiemer, who's spent the majority of his 2024 season down at Triple-A, will not become a free agent until after the 2028 season. Junis has an $8 million mutual option for next season. The Reds may choose to exercise that depending on how the right-hander plays down the stretch.

This move would also seem to signal that the Reds will be selling even more before tomorrow's deadline. With an additional relief arm in Junis and both Ian Gibaut and Emilio Pagán on the way back from the IL, pitchers like Justin Wilson, Lucas Sims, and Buck Farmer may all of a sudden become expendable.

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