Minnesota Twins: Frankie Montas is Healthy and a Trade Target Again

The Minnesota Twins didn’t a play game on the first day back from the All-Star break, but that doesn’t mean Twins fans didn’t have something to watch for on the Thursday slate of baseball games.

It had a lot to do with a specific game during the A’s-Tigers doubleheader. Following a minor stint on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, Frankie Montas was back on the mound after having skipped a couple of starts in mid-July.

Frankie Montas is healthy and back to being a top Minnesota Twins trade target.

The Oakland A’s ace is one of the premier names on the market, and a priority target for a Minnesota Twins team that finds itself leading the AL Central as we get nearer to the trade deadline.

That division lead is rather tenuous though, as the Cleveland Guardians have the same number of losses as the Twins, and the Chicago White Sox are only a couple of games back in the loss column, and have one of the easier schedules in baseball on the second half.

Sometimes it is easy to lose perception, and the fact the Twins have held this lead for a significant time doesn’t mean it couldn’t go away in a single series. The front office can’t afford to be complacent at the deadline, and an addition to the starting rotation is an absolute priority if this team is to win the Central and possibly make a run in the postseason.

The Oakland A’s certainly didn’t stretch Montas out as the right-hander only had a total of 53 pitches over three innings against the Tigers. However, Montas did the most out of that shortened start allowing only a pair of hits and striking out five.

Having left his last start with a diminished velocity on his heater, Montas topped out at 98.4 on the four-seamer in this outing and averaged 96.8 MPH. That number was right in line with his career norm, providing the necessary assurance that he’s back to his old ways.

The A’s ace generated 8 whiffs on 25 swings, and will probably get at least one, maybe even two starts before the deadline on August 2nd, allowing him to add some length into his outings before a very likely deal is made.

The A’s are out of contention and Montas is their last big trade chip in a seller’s market. The Twins need to be aggressive about making this one happen, as Montas will have plenty of suitors after showcasing that he’s once again healthy. Montas is slated to take the ball against the Astros at home sometime next week.