Montas says he wasn’t ‘fully 100 percent’ when traded to New York
The Yankees bought damaged goods with a no-return policy.
Frankie Montas came over to the Bronx in a trade with the Oakland A’s in July of last season. However, the 29-year-old was not at full strength as he was nursing a shoulder injury.
“I wasn’t fully 100 percent,” Montas told reporters Wednesday morning at the Yankees spring complex in Tampa. “I was trying to pitch through it. Of course, I got traded to a new team, I wanted to show what I can do.
“Things didn’t go the way I was expecting. But I’m here to try to help this team and go out there and show what I can really do when I’m healthy.”
It was clear Montas wasn’t the same pitcher after he donned the pinstripes as he struggled to a 6.35 ERA in eight starts with the Yankees.
The shoulder discomfort continued throughout the offseason and ultimately led to his Feb. 21 surgery.
If all goes well, Montas could return at some point during the second half of 2023. The righty is in the midst of a 12-week shutdown before he can begin a throwing program. Montas has no doubts that he will pitch this season.
“Oh yeah, no doubt, I’ll for sure be back this season,” Montas said Wednesday. It “was a thing I had to take care of, I don’t have control of it. Of course, trust me, I’m one of the guys that wants to be out there pitching right now and showing what I can do. But things didn’t work out that way, so just trying to rehab and come back so I can help with whatever they want me to do.”
Lab work gets done: It was a day of experimenting for the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
The Bombers want to get a look at
Aaron Judge in left field this spring with the hope that they can get Giancarlo Stanton more reps in right field which will open up the DH spot for one of the club’s extra infielders and lengthen their lineup.
The early results? Not enough data to say one way or the other.
Judge had just one ball hit in his direction — an uncatchable bloop single — during his 1-for-2 afternoon. The newly appointed Yankee captain made his first appearance in left field since 2016 when he was a member of the Triple-a Scranton Wilkes-barre Railriders.
He’ll get another opportunity to play left field Thursday against the Red Sox and if Aaron Boone wants to see his plan for Stanton in the outfield come to fruition, there will likely need to be more of a sample size for this new configuration.
“Best-case scenario, we’re talking about 40, 50, 60 games ,” Boone said on the YES Network during the Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Cardinals in Grapefruit League action. “If we can go a full season where we avoid IL stints … I’d like to get him out there 40, 50, 60 times.”
Cole getting in gear: Outside of the spring training jerseys, you would’ve never known that Wednesday’s game didn’t count watching Gerrit Cole on the mound.
The 32-year-old was dominant against the Cardinals, striking out seven batters in 3 shutout frames working his pitch count up to 57. The right-hander lit up the radar gun sitting at 97 mph and topping out at 99.
“Just attacking the strike zone ,” Cole said after his performance. “Obviously seeing some of the hard work pay off in between starts. There was a couple of good cutters and I thought the slider improved as the game went on.”
Boone made an informal announcement that Cole — to nobody’s surprise — would take the ball on March 30 against the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium to open up the 2023 campaign.
“We got a few weeks to get there.,” said Cole. “Just keep building the foundation. Fastball command, breaking balls for strikes. My curveball has not been a strike recently so that needs to get a little bit better. Changeups have been in good spots but not strikes, I haven’t been able to get anyone fishing on it.
“Probably trying to get the breaking balls in the zone a little more,” he said.
Where’s Oswaldo? Wednesday, he was in center field.
Oswaldo Cabrera told the YES broadcast crew on Saturday afternoon that the position he most wanted to play was center field. He has never played there in his professional career.
Boone gave Cabrera his chance on Wednesday — subbing him in in the top of the sixth inning — and he proceeded to make a spectacular diving catch in the top of the eighth.
The 24-year-old played all over the diamond in 2022. He played 27 games in right field, nine in left, four at shortstop, three at third, first and second base.
Cabrera was called up to the majors on Aug. 17 of last season and managed to play six different positions during his short time. The switch-hitter is truly earning the “super-utility man,” title.
What’s next: Clarke Schmidt will take the ball for his second start of the spring continuing the battle for the Yankees’ fifth rotation spot — with Domingo German — on Thursday afternoon against the Red Sox in Tampa.