The Yankees appear to be better Monday afternoon than they were Monday morning, which isn't great for the Boston Red Sox or the rest of Major League Baseball considering New York already had compiled the most wins in baseball.
The Yankees acquired starting right-hander Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from the Oakland Athletics on Monday afternoon, as reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan. The deal came a few hours after New York reportedly acquired reliever Scott Effross from the Chicago Clubs.
The three additions depict how the Yankees are pushing their chips to the center of the table in a World Series-or-bust finish. And they certainly appear to be the favorite to do so, possessing the best prices at DraftKings Sportsbook along with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Montas, 29, was the best starting pitcher available after the Seattle Mariners traded for former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo. The Yanks reportedly didn't land Castillo because they didn't want to part with their top prospect, Anthony Volpe. Montas boasts a 3.18 ERA in 104 2/3 innings this season and has a 3.30 ERA dating back to the start of 2021 while going 291 2/3 innings.
With what's widely regarded to be a terrific combination of splitter and fastball, Montas offers more potential than any Yankees pitcher outside of ace Gerrit Cole, who has a 3.30 ERA in 21 starts this season. The Yankees parted with some of their top prospects in order to land Montas.
Effross, meanwhile, has a 2.91 ERA in 61 career games with 68 strikeouts in 58 2/3 frames. The Yankees paid a pretty penny to get the former Cubs reliever, though, as they sent their No. 4 prospect, Hayden Wesneski, to Chicago.
The addition of Trivino is a bit more of a dice roll that the others, it seems. The former Athletics reliever has a 6.47 ERA in 32 innings during the 2022 season. It's the highest of his five-year career but the Yankees likely hope Trivino can return to his 2021 form as he had a 3.18 ERA across 73 2/3 innings.
New York's willingness to go all-in very well might make up for the Yankees recently losing two bullpen standouts in Michael King (fractured elbow) and Chad Green (Tommy John surgery) all while flamethrower Aroldis Chapman has had issues with consistency.
The Bronx Bombers previously added a respectable bat to their lineup with the trade for MLB All-Star Andrew Benintendi last week.
Now, the Yankees will have to contend with the American League West-leading Houston Astros to see who claim's the AL's top seed entering the postseason. The Astros reportedly made a massive deal themselves Monday with the trade for Trey Mancini. But the three Bronx Bomber additions surely have Yankee fans hoping the organization can claim its first World Series title since 2009.
And that's something no other team -- especially the rival Red Sox -- wants to see.
