Trade Central: Cardinals Acquire Jordan Montgomery From Yankees For Harrison Bader

Image credit: Jordan Montgomery (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

The Cardinals acquired Jose Quintana on Monday to shore up the back of their rotation. Less than 24 hours later, they landed another starting pitcher to aid their rotation even more.

The Cardinals acquired lefthander Jordan Montgomery from the Yankees in exchange for center fielder Harrison Bader and a player to be named later or cash considerations. Bader is currently on the injured list with plantar fasciitis, and according to BA correspondent Derrick Goold, the deal includes a stipulation that the Yankees will receive a PTBNL if Bader is unable to return from his injury this season.

CARDINALS RECEIVE

Jordan Montgomery, LHP
Age: 29

Montgomery missed most of 2018-19 after having Tommy John surgery and struggled during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but he’s re-emerged as a solid back-of-the-rotation starter over the past two seasons with the Yankees. He went 3-3, 3.69 in 21 starts with the Yankees this season. Montgomery lacks big velocity or spin, but he keeps the ball on the ground with his low-90s sinker and stays off of barrels to avoid hard contact. His low-80s changeup helps keep hitters off balance and his low-80s curveball is his go-to putaway pitch off of his sinker. He gets called strikes in the zone and chase swings out of it, showing plus control and keeping his walks to a minimum. Montgomery joins Jose Quintana as recently-acquired lefties who will slot into the back of the Cardinals rotation. He is under team control this year and next and will be a free agent after 2023.

YANKEES RECEIVE

Harrison Bader, OF
Age: 28

The reigning NL Gold Glove winner in center field, Bader appeared in 71 games in center field this year without making an error before going on the injured list. He does not have a timeline to return, so it remains to be seen whether he will play for the Yankees this year. He is a native of Bronxville, N.Y., about 11 miles north of Yankee Stadium, and is signed through the end of the 2023 season.