Frankie Montas was alimony at the time of the deal deadline. Alimony, by definition, is meant to comfort the recipient. The problem was that when Yankees fans left the stadium on Thursday night and took the car or train, they experienced a thousand different emotions.
And the comfort was that it wasn't one.
They were anxious, angry, frustrated and a little bit scared. They were concerned that the pitching staff could be a problem in October, and that Montas had looked more like a problem than a solution so far.
I was also convinced that Luis Castillo didn't give him that kind of stress.
Yes, it's still early for the new guy in town making his third start as a Yankee and first in the Bronx. But his timing here was terrible. On the night of his most dramatic victory of the season, Montas shattered a feel-good momentum that seemed to have been carried over, made possible by Josh Donaldson's 10th grand slam. I was. He soared the idea that the staggering Yankee was finally back on his feet and fixing up to shed another tear.
Montas gave Toronto six innings and he scored six runs. and allowed him eight hits, including his three-run shot off Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 9-2 loss. In his 14th innings as a Yankee, Montas gave up his 14 runs and 18 hits.
That's not good. that is not acceptable.
It's not even close to what the Yanks traded.
His manager, Aaron Boone, did not believe Montas was affected by what he called "jitter," the lingering effects of inflammation in the pitcher's shoulder. No matter what went wrong, Boone said, "clearly it has to do."
Montas admitted that this was more than just Knight's game against the Blue Jays.
"A lot of emotions come to Yankee in his stadium," he said in an interview with Clubhouse. "Of course I want to go out there and do my best. This is not my best."
He smiled lightly, just to ease his nerves. A few hours earlier, Boone had spent much of his time discussing the harsh realities of New York public life and how the burden of expectations weighed on him more than anyone else.
But Boone was also quick to point out that baseball "has a way of changing in a short amount of time." He raised Edwin Diaz near the Mets. "He couldn't pitch here [in 2019]," Boone said. "I think he can pitch here now."
So Montas still has the rest of the season to revise the manuscript and write a happy ending. Maybe he'll string together four or five promising starts in a row... maybe he'll light out in the postseason.
And maybe he won't.
But this is what we know so far. The Yankees wanted Castillo by the deadline. So Cincinnati sent Castillo to Seattle for a better merchandise package, and the Yankees began talking into believing there wasn't much difference between Castillo and Oakland's Montas.
Now that gap looks bigger than his Yankees lead in the AL East. Good news comes from this fact. Montas doesn't see his new team at a disadvantage in the standings. The Yankees run away and win their own division.
Bad news: home his field in the ALCS While it could hurt them chasing the Astros for his advantage, he Jordan, who was replaced, could fall short of his Montgomery performance. for the Cardinals.
Montgomery and Castillo do exactly what their new employer wanted, but Montas is still trying to find his feet. It was a shame this didn't work out for him on Thursday night in front of an energetic crowd drawn from the previous night's magic.
Montas with his wife before the game and the kids, all wearing the pitcher's No. 47 jersey. The family looked great in pinstripes. The pitcher kissed them one by one and then went to work. He had no idea he was walking straight into a scary night at the office.
At least he has a manager he can tell you a thing or two about his rough days in the Bronx. On Wednesday night, when all seemed lost on the 10th, the manager heard fans chanting "Fire Boom"... his reaction.
"I stood at the top of the stairs with a bit of pride and said, 'Okay, it fits the territory here,'" he said. Boone spoke of what would happen "in this uniform," reminding athletes (and coaches) that noise cannot undermine themselves.
Boone has new security on a three-year deal with a club option for a fourth year, not to mention the credibility he had with his walk-off homer in Game 7 against the Red Sox. Still, fans don't hesitate to follow him. he is a big boy he knows how to handle it.
Thursday night starting pitcher. When his home debut turned south, he didn't sound like much from the stands in an angry way. they always do.
Frankie Montas, on the other hand, is giving the Yankees exactly what most alimony gives winners.