"No more Oakland pitchers""Good riddance" - Yankees fans relieved as Frankie Montas ends return speculations by signing with Reds

Former New York Yankees pitcher Frankie Montas has ended his short tenure with the club, and will be headed to the Cincinnati Reds as the two sides agreed on a one-year, $16 million deal on Saturday.

He should be a great addition alongside a rotation that includes Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Martinez. Martinez was another free-agent signing made by the team in early December.

However, Montas was not a fan-favorite in the Bronx. He was acquired on deadline day in 2022, and made eight starts and posted a 6.35 ERA that seaon, underwhelming the fanbase.

In 2023, Montas dealt with shoulder inflammation and needed surgery. He returned to the mound in September for a handful of innings before the season ended.

Yankees fans are relieved to hear Frankie Montas will not be returning. They were worried GM Brian Cashman would re-sign him. Here's how some fans reacted to the news:

"9 games for the yanks, 40IP, 6.15 ERA lol. JP Sears was bad last year, made 32 starts and had an era 2 runs lower hahaha. No more Oakland pitchers in the Bronx ever" one fan posted.

"Good riddance!" Antother fan posted.

Fans are hoping that the Yanks will be in the mix on the starting pitching trade block. Both Shane Bieber and Dyan Cease have been dangled by their respective clubs.

With Frankie Montas gone, the starting rotation is a question mark for the Yankees

New York Yankees v Los Angeles Angels

With Frankie Montas not returning, the starting rotation is the biggest question mark for the Yankees, and they must acquire at least one arm.

One pitcher that stands out on the open market is Jordan Montgomery. The Yanks traded Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022 for Harrison Bader. Since the trade, he has made a name for himself, especially during the 2023 postseason. However, with his postseason dominance, his price tag could be too high for the Bronx Bombers.

If the front office really wanted to go all in, a trade for Dylan Cease could also work. It would deplete the farm system, but Cease is still under control for two more years. While he had a shaky 2023 season, insiders expect him to bounce back in 2024.

The team still has some work to do before Opening Day rolls along. It will be interesting to see which direction they go in to strengthen their rotation.