Frankie Montas’ debut comes at an incredibly ironic time

The New York Yankees added Frankie Montas to their starting rotation just before the MLB close.

That New York Yankees missed Luis Castillo at this year’s trading deadline. They paid dearly for it on Wednesday afternoon when the former Cincinnati Reds ace turned out the lights on his debut for the Seattle Mariners.

But the Yankees didn’t just grab their ball and go home. Brian Cashman has worked out a deal with the Oakland A’s Frankie Montas to the Bronx. Compared to the deal between the Reds and the Mariners, Cashman gave up very little as only one of New York’s top five prospects returned to the Bay Area as part of the deal.

But much like the Mariners rubbed salt in the Yankees’ wounds with Castillo on Wednesday, New York will return the favor to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yanks head to Gateway City later this week and it looks like Montas will make his pinstripe debut on Sunday according to YES Network’s Jack Curry.

Frankie Montas’ New York Yankees debut comes at an incredibly ironic time.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be front row for Frankie Montas’ first start with his new tee, except he will be sitting in the opposing team’s dugout. The Cardinals were considered serious contenders for Montas’ services at this year’s MLB trade deadline, but the Yankees swooped in and secured the right-hander before the floodgates opened on Tuesday.

Montas wasn’t the only deadline goal the Cardinals missed. St. Louis was also rumored to be targeting Juan Soto. The former Washington Nationals bat was eventually dealt to the San Diego Padres for quite a lot; something the card front office didn’t want to offer.

The Cardinals eventually turned to their divisional rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, for a boost to their deadline-day starting rotation. St. Louis added Jose Quintana in exchange for a young pitcher in Johan Oviedo and a top infield prospect.

In another ironic twist, it’s very likely that Harrison Bader will be patrolling midfield at Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon. But Bader will wear a Yankees jersey. The Cardinals sent the midfielder to New York to add another starter in southpaw Jordan Montgomery.