The signing of Carlos Rodon has pushed struggling Frankie Montas down the order in the rotation and the pitcher is going to start the 2023 season as the Yankees’ No. 5 starter. This will give him a chance for a less stressful year to get back on track.
Frankie Montas started his career with the Yankees under a lot of pressure. He arrived in New York in a last-minute trade to strengthen the top rotation along with a reliever, Lou Trivino, to the Bronx in exchange for four young players. When the injury to Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery trade was taken into account, New York needed Montas to return to his form.
However, Frankie Montas’ first game with the Yankees didn’t go well. But in 2023, it is going to have a different role that may help him get back to his old form.
In his next eight starts, he gave up four or more earned runs five times, giving him an ERA of 6.35. He then hurt his shoulder again and spent the rest of the regular season on the injured list. The bright spot for the Yankees is that Frankie Montas has one more year in charge, a full season in pinstripes, and a chance to show what he could do. After all, the pitcher had a 3.37 ERA in 32 starts in 2021 and finished sixth on the AL Cy Young competition.
With a new start coming up next spring, Frankie Montas will be pitching in a place that helps him do well. Not only is he used to the weight of the pinstripes and the expectations of this fan base, but he is also expected to pitch in the fifth and final spot on New York’s starting staff. This is a big change from when he hurt his shoulder.
The addition of free agent Carlos Rodon moves Nestor Cortes, Severino, and Frankie Montas each down one spot. This more than makes up for the loss of Jameson Taillon. The fact that the Yankees don’t need Frankie Montas to be an ace in 2023 must be comforting to him and allow him to perform without feeling much pressure.
Frankie Montas needs to prove himself
But Frankie Montas will still be under a lot of pressure to do well. As long as he is a Yankee, that won’t go away. If he has a rough start to the year, the boobirds will flow over him. Fans see Rodon in comparison to Gerrit Cole. This eliminates pressure on Frankie Montas. Since the Yankees have signed a top starter, the lower-level starters, such as Domingo German or Clarke Schmidt, from the bullpen may get a promotion to replace Taillon. The bottom of the rotation would have been closely watched as soon as the team showed up for spring training.
To put it another way, you’re in pretty good shape when Frankie Montas is the biggest question mark in your rotation. He hasn’t done it yet for the Yankees, but Montas has the skills to be a top-tier starter. If he can stay healthy and put it all together, the Yankees’ rotation will be the best in baseball.
Carlos is the best bet for the Yankees
Cameron Maybin, who used to play outfield for the Yankees and is now a YES Network analyst, has seen Carlos Rodon play in the major leagues and from afar. According to him:
“… I think this guy Carlos is special. I faced him early when he came into the league. I continue to say he’s that guy. High RPMs on the fastball. He has that ability to pitch at the top of the zone. I call it the trap ball — a pitch that looks really good but you can’t do anything with. It’s a trap. He’s a guy that cake the bat out of a lineup’s hands and I think that’s what the Yankees needed and I think his stuff will put him in the position where he won’t have to worry about the boos and the Yankees fans as much. His stuff will get him through those difficult days, especially when you add him alongside Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes. I think having Frankie Montas back healthy is going to be really, a really big sleeper that people may not be thinking about because he was kind of injured at the end of the year and I think the Yankees tried to get him back. Luis Severino, they did a great job of managing Severino last year to make sure he was ready for the playoffs. I think when you play him in that rotation, he’s not coming in where he has to be the guy, but he is a guy that really bolsters and strengthens this rotation for sure.”
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