Frankie Montas

Francellis Montas Luna, fondly known as Frankie Montas, was born on March 21, 1993, and is a professional baseball pitcher from the Dominican Republic. Since 2024, Montas has played for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). His illustrious baseball career has seen him play for major league teams like the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Oakland Athletics.

Frankie kicked off his journey to the top league in 2009. The Boston Red Sox spotted the promising pitcher as an international free agent, a move that set the stage for his rising baseball career. In return for his commitment, the Red Sox awarded him a signing bonus worth $75,000. As a rookie, Frankie played for minor league teams under the Red Sox organization. These sessions greatly shaped his skills as he pitched for Gulf Coast Red Sox, Lowell Spinners, and the Greenville Drive in 2012 and 2013.

Before the 2013 trade deadline, the Red Sox decided to shake things up. They executed a three-way deal, bringing in Jake Peavy from the White Sox and José Iglesias from the Tigers, sending Montas, J.B. Wendelken, and Cleuluis Rondon to the White Sox. Also involved in the trade were Brayan Villarreal from the Tigers and Avisaíl García from Chicago making their way to the Red Sox.

In 2014, Frankie started the season with the Winston-Salem Dash of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. He was elected for the prestigious 2014 All-Star Futures Game. But, an unfortunate injury to his knee caused Frankie to withdraw from the game and undergo surgery. Post-surgery, he bounced back, pitching for Birmingham Barons, and ended the season with a 5–0 win-loss record and an impressive 1.44 earned run average.

The year 2015 brought more action for Frankie as he signed on to pitch for Birmingham. He made quite a mark by pitching a no-hitter game. Post this feat, he again got selected for the All-Star Futures Game and Southern League All-Star Game. Following these accomplishments, the White Sox called Frankie to the major leagues on July 17, 2015. His first appearance as a major league relief pitcher came the next day.

The end of 2015 meant another shift for the young pitcher. Frankie was traded to Los Angeles Dodgers along with Micah Johnson and Trayce Thompson. This was part of a massive three-way trade involving Todd Frazier and José Peraza, among others. Unfortunately for Frankie, a rib resection surgery sidelined him for up to four months of the season. Upon recovery, Frankie was assigned to the AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers, but a broken rib led to further delays.

In August 2016, the Dodgers traded Montas, Jharel Cotton, and Grant Holmes to the Oakland Athletics for Josh Reddick and Rich Hill. Frankie showed tremendous growth with the A’s, reverting to the role of a starter and playing his part with excellence.

In 2019, he was handed an 80-game suspension for testing positive for the banned substance – ostarine. Although this was a significant setback, he started the following 2020 season strong with the A’s.

However, the global pandemic and a positive COVID-19 result impacted Frankie’s 2021 season. Despite this, his stellar performance with a 13-9 record, 3.37 ERA, and 207 strikeouts in 187 innings saw him finish sixth in the American League Cy Young Award voting.

After signing a $5.025 million contract with the A’s in March 2022, Frankie’s journey witnessed yet another change. In August, he was traded to the New York Yankees along with Lou Trivino. The next year was challenging due to a right shoulder inflammation that required arthroscopic surgery.

Nevertheless, Frankie made a comeback to the field in September the same year. Following his recovery, he signed a one-year contract, worth $14 million, with Cincinnati Reds in January 2024. Additionally, the contract included a $20 million mutual option for 2025.

However, his stint with Cincinnati Reds was short-lived. He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in July 2024 for Jakob Junis, Joey Wiemer, and cash considerations.

Playing a vital role in the game, Frankie Montas Luna, a husband and father, is not just a baseball player. He is an individual who has constantly overcome personal and professional challenges. He is a testament to the never-back-down spirit of his country and has carved out an outstanding international baseball career. The story of this talented pitcher from the Dominican Republic truly encapsulates the journey of dedication, triumph, hardships, and resilience.