Did New York Yankees get damaged goods in Frankie Montas?

Frankie Montas was supposed to be the answer for the New York Yankees. Instead, he has been a disaster.

One of their prized acquisitions at the trade deadline, Montas has not been nearly the same in pinstripes. He has a 6.35 ERA and a 1.538 WHiP in his 39.2 innings over eight starts in New York, striking out 33 batters with 15 walks. This is not the type of performance anyone would have anticipated.

New York Yankees may have received damaged goods with Frankie Montas

As it turns out, there may be a reason for these struggles. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Montas is slated to have an MRI on his shoulder. According to Heyman, Montas said that he felt something in his shoulder after the game but is optimistic that it is nothing serious.

It is worth noting that Montas had shoulder trouble earlier this season. He had missed 18 days due to shoulder inflammation, coming back to pitch a total of eight innings for the A’s before he was traded to the Yankees. While he felt fine after that time off, and was healthy enough for the Yankees’ team doctors to sign off on his medicals to facilitate the trade, one has to wonder if he had been right at any time since joining New York.

At this point, all we have is conjecture. Montas does not seem overly concerned and may just need to skip a start to get right once again. However, as Ken Waldichuk and JP Sears have displayed some promise with the A’s, it is easy to see why this trade could turn into a disaster.

It also does not help the reaction from the fanbase. While there was excitement when Montas was acquired, that quickly dissipated with each rough outing. If he is injured, and continues to struggle, the fans could turn on him just as they did with other disappointing acquisitions. Just ask Joey Gallo how that turned out.

Frankie Montas is slated to have an MRI on his shoulder. It may be that the New York Yankees received damaged goods at the trade deadline.