Frankie Montas
The Chicago White Sox traded away a stud pitcher before his prime.
Frankie Montas is the ace of the Oakland Athletics. Had the White Sox held onto him, he could have been a stalwart in the current rotation.
Montas’ track record speaks for itself. The hard-throwing right-hander has a 3.86 career ERA in his 102 big league appearances. Last season, he posted a 13-9 record and owned a 3.37 ERA.
That was the fifth-best mark in the American League. He also proved to be durable, leading the American League with 32 starts.
That wasn’t the only accolade Montas collected last season. He also was named AL Pitcher of the Month in September. His 207 strikeouts were also good enough for fourth-best in the AL. He finished sixth in the Cy Young voting.
The White Sox traded him in the 2015 offseason for Todd Frazier. This trade was not a colossal failure for the White Sox. Frazier did what he was brought in to do. He hit 40 home runs and drove in 98. He also represented the White Sox in the Home Run Derby.
However, a dysfunctional 2016 squad forced the White Sox to launch a rebuild. Frazier was traded to the Yankees the following season.
As it stands, Montas would not be a bad option for the White Sox rotation. Like every other team in the MLB, they can never have enough pitching.