DONE DEAL: The Cincinnati Reds have finalized the trade of another vital player to their team.

The Reds made their first major move of the deadline late Monday night. After obtaining Ty France, who was placed on waivers by Seattle, the Reds dealt starting Frankie Montas to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Joey Wiemer and pitcher Jakob Junis.

This action is similar to a buy and sell. The Reds will replace Montas, who has a 5.01 ERA in 19 starts, with two pitchers who can contribute right away. Montas has a mutual option for $20 million in 2025, which the Reds declined to exercise. Moving him made sense because his production was low, just like the Reds’ playoff hopes.

Did the Reds get a good return on Frankie Montas?
The return trip to Cincinnati was better than I could have imagined. Outfielder Joey Wiemer, Just Baseball’s No. 95 prospect in 2021, struggled with Milwaukee in 2023 and spent the majority of this season in the minors. In 53 games at Triple-A, he hit.242/.387/.358, with three home runs.

He’ll have some poor at-bats at times, resulting in an above-average strikeout rate, but he has some skills. His power has not developed as expected from his prospect days, but he has quickness and is an excellent corner outfield fielder who can also play center. Another probable platoon configuration. The 25-year-old former Cincinnati Bearcat will receive

Jakob Junis, Nasty 83mph Back door Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/XFqTixxdxJ

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2024

Junis has moved around quite a bit. After starting in Kansas City, he had ups and downs in San Francisco before pitching 26 innings for Milwaukee this season. He’s started before and been deployed as a multi-inning bullpen arm.

Junis isn’t going to strike out a lot, but he does an excellent job of controlling walks and possesses a slider that could help this squad.

If the Reds replace Nick Martinez, Junis can serve as an opener, multi-inning reliever, or spot starter. At the very least, he’s a seasoned arm that can help the Reds get through this season. I’ll remark that Milwaukee and San Francisco have had success.

Finding underestimated pitchers and turning them around, they must have noticed something in Junis. Have the Brewers done enough with Montas?
Milwaukee frees up two 40-man roster spaces while also gaining an experienced starter who can help them eat up innings on their path to the postseason. Following repeated injuries to their rotation, various rentals were said to be on their radar. They most likely chose Montas over Jack Flaherty because of expense.
Wiemer had slipped behind on the depth chart and could be someone else’s project. Junis was another expendable arm, and Milwaukee considers it a little price to pay. While I do not believe it’s a poor trade, if Montas is their last starting pitcher added, I would

Be unimpressed. Aaron Civale and Frankie Montas do not exclaim, “We are really going for it.” Final Thoughts
Cincinnati added an outfielder, which was much needed. While Wiemer may not be the most well-known all-star, there is potential for growth and team control.

With two option years remaining, Wiemer can serve as a fourth outfielder or back-and-forth type, perhaps helping Levi Jordan, Blake Dunn, and, dare I say it, Reece Hinds. This action allows you to relocate Nick Martinez without worrying about filling his position.
All for a subpar “expiring” contract.

Both teams benefit. No, I don’t believe any of these individuals have a large impact, but transactions involving players of this type rarely result in much. Despite its a marginal deal, improving on the margins is undervalued, and how you develop quality depth.