Former Yankees pitcher agrees to $16 million contract with Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are making a big move to sign a former New York Yankees pitcher for a significant sum of money.

The Reds are signing Frankie Montas to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that Montas’ deal is worth $16 million, with potential incentives on top of that.

The Yankees made a big trade to acquire Montas from the Oakland Athletics in 2022, but the deal simply did not work out for them. He made just nine appearances for the Yankees, posting a 6.15 ERA before missing virtually the entire 2023 season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The 30-year-old still has a previous track record of success in five-and-a-half seasons with Oakland, where he put together a 3.80 ERA and finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2021.

This is a lot of money for a team like the Reds to spend, but there is little risk in a one-year commitment. Under the best-case scenario, he will be fully healthy and effective, perhaps allowing the Reds to get something of value for him in a trade. If not, they can simply move on.