MLB Rumors: Blue Jays, Yankees and Cardinals in race to get Frankie Montas

With 48 hours to go before the MLB trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals would be the three teams most interested in acquiring the A’s right-handed starter. OaklandFrankie Montas. At least that’s what Jon Morosi reports from MLB Network.

The interest of the three formations to add a pitcher to their respective rotations has been known for a while now and a first big name, that of Luis Castillo, has already changed addresses on Friday.

The Mariners have traded three prospects to acquire Castillo — including the organization’s top prospect, Noelvi Marte — and that price may well serve as a price tag for securing Montas’s services.

This season, the 29-year-old starter has a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts and 109 strikeouts. Montas has a record of four wins and nine losses.

Montas had been sidelined earlier in July with a shoulder injury. In two games since returning to action, he has pitched eight innings, giving up 10 hits and two earned runs. He also added nine strikeouts.

Montas has played his six seasons in an A’s uniform and will not be a free agent until the end of the 2023 season.

If the Blue Jays win the derby, Montas would therefore be added to the rotation already made up of Alek Manoah, José Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Yusei Kikuchi and Ross Stripling.

With an already powerful rotation, the addition of Montas to the Yankees would also allow the team to protect itself from the threats of Jameson Taillon to head for the free agent market at the end of the season.

In addition to being interested in Montas, the Cardinals have also reportedly shown strong interest in a division rival. St. Louis is reportedly eyeing Reds right-hander Tyler Mahle, according to Morosi.

This season in 19 starts, the 27-year-old pitcher has maintained a 4.40 earned run average and has five wins.

Morosi notes, however, that the last trade between the Cardinals and the Reds was completed in 1997.