Cardinals trade Harrison Bader to Yankees for Jordan Montgomery

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - After failing to land the big fish in Juan Soto on Tuesday morning, the Cardinals finished the trading period with a flurry, striking for their second starting pitcher in as many days.

St. Louis struck just minutes before the trade deadline at 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday by trading outfielder Harrison Bader to the Yankees for left-handed starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery. The Cardinals announced the deal on Twitter.

Bader has been out of game action since late June as he has dealt with soreness stemming from plantar fasciitis. Due to reach free agency after the 2023 season, the 28-year-old Bader had become somewhat expendable in recent weeks as Dylan Carlson has handled the defensive duties of the center field position with aplomb in Bader’s absence.

With prospects like Alec Burleson and potentially even third base prospect Jordan Walker potentially on the way⁠—and needing a position when he arrives⁠—over the next couple of years, the Cardinals have options for how to fill Carlson’s right field spot internally.

What the Cardinals didn’t have was reliable starting pitching.

St. Louis is hoping that Montgomery can be exactly that in his new home. The 29-year-old Montgomery has thrown 114.2 innings this season in 21 starts for the Yankees.

He’s approaching his career-high in terms of workload, which he set last season with 157.1 innings pitched. He carries a 3.69 ERA on the year and is under team control through the end of 2023, allowing the Cardinals to figure out a way to shore up their rotation for beyond the stretch run of this season.

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