The White Sox traded for Frankie Montas when they were in dire need of another starter. The 24-year old has been a solid addition, pitching over six innings and striking out eight batters. With the injury to Lance Lynn, Montas should be pushed harder than ever by Chicago front office members after such stellar performance so far this season.
The “MLB team needs 2022” is a blog post that discusses how the Chicago White Sox should ramp up their pursuit of starting pitcher Frankie Montas after they lost Lance Lynn for the season. Read more in detail here: mlb team needs 2022.
Carlos Correa was acquired by the Minnesota Twins in an unexpected move this summer. After making free agency moves for Eduardo Rodriguez and Javier Baez, the Detroit Tigers are letting 2020 No. 1 selection Spencer Torkelson to expand his wings. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals are hopeful that young players like Bobby Witt Jr. may help them go farther. The Chicago White Sox are still the team to beat in the American League Central.
With a 93-69 record last season, the White Sox won their division. They accomplished it largely because to a pitching staff anchored by Lance Lynn, a veteran right-hander who placed third in the AL Cy Young Award voting.
Lynn was expected to lead the rotation once again in 2022, as the South Siders started their quest for a second division championship. He’ll start the season on the Injured List instead.
According to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan and others, the White Sox will bring in veteran Johnny Cueto as a depth piece. But Chicago should go a step further and reengage the Oakland Athletics in Frankie Montas trade talks.
ace pitcher for the White Sox With a knee injury, Lance Lynn will be out for at least four weeks.
When Lynn departed his Saturday Spring Training start with knee pain, White Sox fans couldn’t have been very enthusiastic. Indeed, the 34-year-old was dealt a severe blow.
Lynn has a minor tendon injury in his right knee, according to general manager Rick Hahn. He’s been ruled out for four weeks, after which he’ll have to begin a throwing regimen and get back into condition. This significantly lengthens the timetable.
The White Sox have a lot of pitching skill. Dylan Cease, 26, has struggled with command, but he led the American League in strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) in 2021 and has looked fantastic in Spring Training. Cease was able to reach Adam Fromal’s Top 50 starting pitchers for the 2022 season as a result of his efforts. Lucas Giolito rebounded from a difficult first half with a 2.65 ERA and.609 OPS against in his last 13 outings. Dallas Keuchel, a left-handed pitcher, will want to rebound from a disappointing 2021 season, while Michael Kopech, a flamethrower, will receive a shot in the rotation.
Even so, losing a workhorse like Lynn is a big deal.
In 28 starts, the two-time All-Star struck out 176 batters in 157 innings while compiling a career-high 161 ERA+. He was the perfect figure at the top of Chicago’s rotation because of his power stuff and guts.
Johnny Cueto can come in and pitch innings, but he’s way beyond his prime at this point in his career. The White Sox might be better suited chasing a younger pitcher who is still under contract with the team.
The Frankie Montas trade discussions should be revisited by Chicago.
White Sox and Twins among many teams talking to the A’s about Manaea and/or Montas @jonmorosi mentioned Minny
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 15, 2022
In March, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that the White Sox were among the teams interested in Montas and fellow Athletics starter Sean Manaea. While Manaea is now a member of the San Diego Padres, Montas still finds himself on a payroll-slashing A’s squad.
With Lynn out of the lineup, the White Sox should resume trade negotiations and make a strong push for Montas.
The 29-year-old is coming off a fantastic season in which he went 32 starts with a 3.37 ERA and a 10.0 K/9 in 187 innings. Montas’ velocity increased, and his chase rate placed in the 91st percentile, according to Baseball Savant. He did so mostly as a result of increased use of his splitter, which had the fourth-highest greatest run value of any splitter in baseball, with a 51.4 percent whiff rate.
Although opponents may hit Montas hard — he ranks in the bottom 25% of pitchers in hard-hit rate But he has the advantage of pitching in the pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum for the most of his outings. This might assist him in avoiding the inevitable relapse.
Montas may be nearing the end of his career. Fromal ranked him No. 1 in his AL West starting pitching ranking after he demonstrated adequate stuff. He’s also an ideal trade target for the White Sox, who are looking to secure their position as a World Series contender.
An asset that can be managed
On September 8, 2021, Frankie Montas #47 of the Oakland Athletics throws during a game against the Chicago White Sox | Getty Images/Oakland Athletics/Michael Zagaris
If the A’s go through with the Frankie Montas deal, they’ll probably demand a hefty price. For the White Sox, though, he is well worth the investment.
Chicago is constructed to win today, with a collection of young and skilled position players and pitchers positioning the team for future success. Montas belongs to the later group.
Before entering free agency in 2023, the A’s right-hander has one more season of arbitration. Chicago has a chance to sign him and work out a contract extension right away.
The White Sox’ payroll is in good condition, especially now that Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert have signed multi-year contracts with the South Siders. Keuchel’s contract may also be up next season.
Chicago is expected to concentrate on reaching an agreement with Giolito on a new contract. However, by extending him and tying up Montas, the White Sox may have a projectable rotation of Giolito, Montas, Cease, Kopech, and Lynn, who has a club option in 2024.
Although the South Siders’ farm system has become slightly depleted in recent seasons, they still have the prospects to make a deal. For a team desperate to win its first World Series since 2005, it’s sensible to make an aggressive move and trade for Montas when he’s still An asset that can be managed and has yet to reach his peak.
Unless otherwise stated, all stats are courtesy of Baseball Reference. Spotrac provided contract details.
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