Reclamation projects: 5 free agent hitters and 4 pitchers the Blue Jays should pursue

Frankie Montas

Finally, we have former Oakland Athletics’ ace Frankie Montas. Many people may have forgotten about him already after the substantial regression he displayed following the trade deadline when he was dealt from the Athletics to the Yankees in 2022. In eight starts, Montas went 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA and 1.54 WHIP, giving up 28 earned runs including 6 home runs in just over 39 innings of work. Later on, it was discovered that Montas had not been fully healthy at the time of the trade. It eventually got even worse as Montas was ultimately shut down near the end of the 2022 season along with being sidelined for the bulk of the 2023 season due to a shoulder injury that required arthroscopic surgery.

As bad as things had gotten for Montas, it's important to remember that prior to his injury issues, he had been one of the more reliable and consistent pitchers in the league since 2018. For his career, he sported a 37-35 record with a 3.90 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, along with 612 strikeouts in 593.2 innings pitched. All he really needs now is someone to still believe in him and give him the chance to prove once again he is one of the best in the game.

With the Jays having resurrected the careers of many past major leaguers in recent times, the gamble with Montas would be worth it since the bulk of his recent downfall appeared to have resulted from an underlying injury issue that has since been corrected. As a result, he has the highest probability amongst all the pitchers mentioned in this list to regain his previous form completely. In doing so, it should significantly help the Jays in their pursuit of a third consecutive postseason berth in 2024.