Elephant Rumblings: Who’s looking at Montas with the trade deadline looming?

Good morning, Athletics Nation!

Frankie Montas has been day-to-day since the start of the month, after a one-inning appearance ended with the righty exiting with shoulder issues. Despite missing a pair of starts since, trade talk has continued to abound for the A’s biggest chip. As Montas looks ready to rejoin the team soon, there’s a chance that he may end up making one of his next starts for an entirely different team.

As The Athletic’s Andy McCullough gets into, A’s GM David Forst has been happy to wait for the right offer to come along for Frankie. With a full 2023 season still under team control, there’s a lot that the A’s could get in return for Montas, and they’re content to get the right offer. If Montas gets moved before the August 2 deadline, it’ll likely be for AA and AAA talent that will feed into the usual quick-turnaround rebuild. If Frankie doesn’t move this season, then he gets to try and help the A’s stay away from the bottom of the league before getting flipped in the offseason or next summer.

Were Montas to be shuttled away, McCullough lists the current top options, some having longstanding interest in Frankie, some with a recent need for a reliable arm to pad their season. For the teams in specific need of a pitcher, there’s the Blue Jays, the Cardinals, the Mets, and the Padres. Some are more desperate like the Jays and Cards, who have both had half of their rotations more or less disappear.

For those just looking to bolster a rotation, more or less because they can, there’s the Dodgers, Red Sox and Twins. All three of them have means and functioning rotations, but would love to add an arm like Montas to help solidify their playoff spots. It seems like the less likely case for these teams to make the move, as a lack of desperation means less of a need to part with the prospects the A’s will be asking for.

Frankie getting dealt is no guarantee, especially after his ill-timed injury absence this month, but the trade deadline frenzy may reach enough of a peak that he could command the return that the A’s are looking for. At the very least, these assuredly won’t be the last trade whispers about Frankie Montas.

A’s Coverage

• Ashford: Game #90: A’s bats silent in 5-2 loss to Rangers
• Hall: A’s Injuries: Frankie Montas will return after All-Star break, unless it happens before?
• Kawahara: Rocky start sinks Paul Blackburn, A’s in 5-2 loss to Rangers ($)
• McCullough: Frankie Montas trade destinations: Who could be in the mix for the A’s starter ($)
• Grant: It’s not often you lose by 7 in 12 innings. But have you met the 2022 Texas Rangers?
• Sadin: Checking in with the AL West: Things are looking up

MLB News & Interest

• Rosenthal: Blue Jays fire manager Charlie Montoyo after team plummets to fourth in AL East
• Doolittle: Power of 2: MLB’s Most Productive Jersey Numbers
• Torres, Buchanan: What MLB scouts think of the American League prospects in the Futures Game ($)
• Buchanan, Torres: What MLB scouts think of the National League prospects in the Futures Game ($)
• Mailhot: The Mariners’ Rotation is Carrying Them Through Their Hot Streak
• Mintz: MLB All-Star Game 2022: How many future Hall of Famers will play in LA?
• The Athletic MLB Staff: Best MLB Draft pick for all 30 teams over the past five years ($)
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