The dream when the Cincinnati Reds signed Frankie Montas late in the offseason was obvious: that he’d morph right back into a frontline starter and lead the club to postseason glory.
The realistic, optimistic hope was slightly less obvious: that he’d show up healthier than he had been before, pitch pretty well, and be a guy who ended up worth more than the $16 million guaranteed the Reds gave him on his pillow contract.
There was always the chance the Reds could thread the needle and be both a) good enough to pursue postseason glory and b) have Montas be a major part of that.