Brewers deal for Reds righty Frankie Montas

MILWAUKEE -- Frankie Montas signed with the Reds last winter for a chance to make a push for a National League Central title. He could still get that chance, but it will be with the Brewers.

In a rare trade between division rivals that broke during Milwaukee’s homer-fueled, 8-3 win over the Braves at American Family Field on Monday, the Brewers sent long reliever Jakob Junis, Triple-A outfielder Joey Wiemer and cash to the Reds for 31-year-old right-hander Montas, fortifying a rotation that already has used 16 different starters this season -- including Junis.

The next Brewers starter will be No. 17, matching the franchise record. It could be Montas, who was scheduled to start in Cincinnati against the Cubs on Tuesday.

TRADE DETAILS
Brewers receive: RHP Frankie Montas
Reds receive: RHP Jakob Junis, OF Joey Wiemer and cash

“It’s kind of nice to have somebody out there that believes in you,” Montas told reporters in Cincinnati. “I’m not saying [the Reds] don’t believe in me. That’s not a question. … The cool part is going to a team that’s in first place.”

He leaped 10 games up the standings by going from the Reds to the Brewers, who rode home runs from Rhys Hoskins, Willy Adames and Jackson Chourio to a comeback win in Milwaukee that featured the Brewers debut of newly acquired reliever Nick Mears while Montas was bidding farewell to teammates in Cincinnati.

It’s that time of year. The Trade Deadline comes Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT.

“It’s a zoo right now. Everybody is going everywhere,” Adames said.

“It’s a ‘go with the flow’ kind of thing," Brewers starter Colin Rea said. "That’s what happens when you’re in first place. Whatever moves they decide to make, we’ll welcome those guys with open arms.”

Montas went 4-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 19 starts for the Reds after a shoulder injury limited him to one appearance with the Yankees in 2023 in a contract year. His best years were in Oakland, where Montas logged a 3.70 ERA over parts of six seasons from 2017-22.

Montas' contract pays $14 million this season and has a $20 million mutual option for 2025 with a $2 million buyout. The Reds will receive $1 million in cash in the deal; since Montas' buyout for 2025 is $2 million and Junis' mutual option next season has a buyout for $3 million, the Brewers are essentially sending the Reds the difference.

It’s the Brewers’ third significant trade for pitching since the start of July. Before landing Montas, Milwaukee GM Matt Arnold got right-hander Aaron Civale from the Rays on July 3 and then swung a deal with the Rockies for Mears on Saturday.

Pitching has once again been one of the Brewers’ strengths, but it’s been a patchwork effort. Of Milwaukee’s starters from the start of the season, only Freddy Peralta and Colin Rea have made all of their starts. In the bullpen, All-Star closer Devin Williams missed the first four months of the season with a back injury before returning on Sunday, only to see his fill-in, Trevor Megill, land on the IL on Monday afternoon with a back injury of his own.

Montas started hot for the Reds, holding the Nationals and Phillies to one earned run over 11 2/3 innings in his first two starts, and he had a stretch of seven starts from May 29-July 4 in which he had a 3.72 ERA. In three starts since, Montas is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA against the Rockies, Nationals and Braves.

But the numbers don’t tell the whole story, said his former teammates.

“He wasn’t even here very long and he just became such a big part of our team,” Reds manager David Bell said. “It’s like we’ll be missing a family member or close friend.”

“His impact has been tremendous in such a short period of time with us,” Reds pitcher Hunter Greene said. “I actually shed a few tears and I know I wasn’t the only one.”

It’s the first player-for-player trade between the Brewers and Reds in nearly a decade -- the Brewers got reliever Jonathan Broxton from Cincinnati for prospects on Aug. 31, 2014.

Junis signed with the Brewers as a starter but his shoulder didn’t cooperate, so he returned in late June from a long IL stint as a multi-inning reliever and delivered a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings overall. His contract pays $4 million this season with an $8 million option for 2025 that has a $3 million buyout.

Wiemer, 25, was Milwaukee’s fourth-round Draft pick in 2020 out of the University of Cincinnati and has logged 437 plate appearances in the Majors over the past two seasons with a .201/.277/.349 slash line.

Those players were the price for adding a starter the Brewers believe can help on and off the field.

“I think the key is [getting] the right people, and that they blend with the group,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “It’s very tough when you’re the front office and you’re trying to increase our chances to do things and not give away the future … and be mindful of the guys fitting in.”