8:41pm: Cincinnati is buying younger outfielder Joey Wiemer and veteran right-hander Jakob Junis from the Brewers within the deal, studies Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
8:37pm: The Brewers and Reds are in settlement on a commerce that’ll ship right-hander Frankie Montas from Cincinnati to Milwaukee, studies Robert Murray of FanSided. The deal is pending a medical overview of the gamers concerned.
Montas, 31, provides the Brewers a veteran arm to plug right into a rotation that’s been decimated by damage, though the large right-hander isn’t having anyplace near his finest season. The longtime A’s hurler signed a one-year, $16MM contract after lacking practically the complete 2023 season because of shoulder surgical procedure and hasn’t recaptured the shape that established him as a top quality large leaguer from 2019-22, when he logged 480 1/3 innings of three.67 ERA ball with a 25.4% strikeout fee towards a 7.2% stroll fee.
Relatively, the 2024 model of Montas is sitting on a 5.01 ERA with a diminished 19% strikeout fee towards a ten% stroll fee that stands as his worst since 2017. His 95.3 mph common fastball is down 1.5 mph from its 96.8 mph peak again in 2019, and Montas has seen an enormous dip in swinging-strike fee, falling from a peak 13.7% to 10.4% this season.
It’s been an unpleasant season for Montas, however the Brewers even have a historical past of getting extra out of pitchers than one would anticipate at first look. They’ve gotten robust outcomes from righties Colin Rea and Tobias Myers this season regardless of minimal to nonexistent observe data from each. Milwaukee presumably has a plan to get Montas again into type, but it surely’s nonetheless a modest shock to see them deal a former high prospect (Wiemer) throughout the division to successfully hire Montas for the ultimate two months of the 2024 season.
That mentioned, Wiemer’s inclusion within the deal speaks to the way through which his inventory has dropped over the previous year-plus. Getting into the 2023 season, he was regarded by some as one of many sport’s top-100 prospects. Nevertheless, the 2020 fourth-rounder stumbled by means of his first style of the majors final 12 months, hitting simply .204/.283/.362 in 410 plate appearances. Wiemer pounded 13 homers and swiped 11 luggage but in addition struck out in just below 29% of his plate appearances. He’s additionally proven obtrusive platoon splits in restricted large league motion, slashing .263/.290/.481 towards lefties however registering a woeful .169/.271/.281 slash towards fellow righties. Wiemer’s energy has been lacking in motion this season in Triple-A Nashville, the place he’s hit .242/.387/.358 with solely three homers in 253 plate appearances.
Wiemer’s platoon splits counsel that he might on the very least be a helpful part-time participant, and he’s additionally graded out exceptionally properly within the outfield. In 1095 innings throughout all three outfield spots — primarily middle — he’s been credited with six Defensive Runs Saved, seven Outs Above Common and a 5.8 Final Zone Ranking. Statcast pegged him within the 93rd percentile of MLB outfielders by way of vary and 96th percentile by way of worth generated along with his arm.
If nothing else, Wiemer has the look of a short-side platoon fourth outfielder. He’s within the second of three choice years and is underneath membership management by means of a minimum of the 2029 season. The Reds will hope there’s some extra within the tank, however pulling a controllable MLB-ready outfielder — even one within the midst of a down season — in change for the rental of a struggling veteran starter had some comprehensible attraction for Cincinnati.
The Reds can even choose up their very own veteran rental within the deal. The 31-year-old Junis is on a one-year, $7MM contract that incorporates a mutual choice for the 2025 season. He’s spent a lot of the 12 months on the injured listing however returned in June and has a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings, working primarily as a protracted reliever. He’s fanned 18.8% of his opponents towards a 5% stroll fee. Had Junis been wholesome this 12 months, he would possibly’ve gotten a glance within the rotation, however the Brewers should not be bullish on his probabilities of holding up in that position. He hasn’t labored greater than three innings since coming back from the injured listing.
Junis provides the Reds an skilled swingman who might doubtlessly begin some video games or a minimum of function a bulk choice behind an opener. His inclusion within the swap additionally provides one thing of a monetary counterweight; Montas is owed $4.7MM of his $14MM wage nonetheless, plus the $2MM buyout on a $20MM mutual choice for subsequent season. Junis remains to be owed $1.35MM of his $4MM wage plus a $3MM buyout on his $8MM mutual choice. (Mutual choices, it must be famous, are typically accounting measures and are nearly by no means exercised; it’s been a couple of decade because the final time a participant and crew each agreed to train a mutual choice.)
Feinsand studies that the Brewers are nonetheless sending about $1MM to the Reds within the deal to offset the hole within the choice buyouts. In complete, Milwaukee is taking over about $3.35MM in additional bills as a way to facilitate the commerce.
