CINCINNATI – Initially signed in the offseason to be a veteran rotation boost for a Reds club hoping to contend in 2024, starting pitcher Frankie Montas will instead help a division rival down the stretch.

According to sources, Montas was dealt to the National League Central-leading Brewers on Monday before the Reds wrapped up their 7-1 win over the Cubs at Great American Ball Park. It was the club's second trade of the day ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, after earlier acquiring first baseman Ty France from the Mariners. Cincinnati received right-handed pitcher Jakob Junis and outfielder Joey Wiemer in return, plus cash considerations. The club has not yet confirmed the deal.

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

Montas was scheduled to start for the Reds vs. the Cubs on Tuesday.

On Jan. 2, the Reds signed the free agent Montas to a one-year, $16 million contract for 2024 with a $20 million mutual option for 2025 ($2 million buyout). The deal provided the 31-year-old with an opportunity to rebuild his resume after he missed almost all of 2023 with the Yankees recovering from right shoulder surgery.

Although mostly healthy for Cincinnati, Montas had inconsistent results while going 4-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 19 starts this season. From April 22-May 7, he was on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm contusion from being hit by a comebacker vs. the Angels.

Montas began well for the Reds, posting a 0.77 ERA over his first two starts and throwing seven scoreless innings vs. the Rockies on June 4 at Colorado. But in the eight starts since, he went 1-4 with a 6.41 ERA and didn't complete five innings in either of his last two outings.

With the Reds at 51-55 and slipping further from postseason contention in recent days during a disappointing season, the front office decided to move the playoff-experienced Montas and get a return before he headed back to the free-agent market.

Coming back to the Reds is Junis, who was coming off a productive 2023 season in the Giants' bullpen when he signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Brewers that included an $8 million mutual option for 2025 ($3 million buyout), with the intention of pitching in Milwaukee's rotation.

But Junis’ shoulder struggled to handle the load, and he missed time in Spring Training before landing on the IL after only one start in April. His comeback was delayed because of a scary moment in Pittsburgh on April 22, when he was struck on the side of the head by a batted ball in batting practice while running in the outfield at PNC Park.

Since coming off the IL in late June, Junis has pitched as a multi-inning reliever, working at least two innings in each of his nine outings. He has a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings overall.

Wiemer, 25, was Milwaukee’s fourth-round Draft pick in 2020 and has logged 437 plate appearances in the Majors over the past two seasons with a .201/.277/.349 slash line. A 6-foot-4, 226-pound outfielder who has the speed for all three positions and had a long run as Milwaukee’s center fielder in 2023, Wiemer worked this spring to simplify a violent swing that has many moving parts. He’s spent most of this season with Triple-A Nashville, where he has a .745 OPS.