In a head-scratcher of a move, the Yankees surprisingly dealt Montgomery to St. Louis for outfielder Harrison Bader.
A solid left-handed starting pitcher, still young, apparently wasn’t enough reason for the Yankees to keep Jordan Montgomery.
On Tuesday, shortly before the MLB trade deadline, the Yankees traded Montgomery to St. Louis.
The 29-year old Montgomery gave the team a consistent left arm when it was his turn in the rotation. On Monday, the Yankees did trade for Frankie Montas, which is a plus. However, less than 24 hours later, the subtraction of Montgomery leaves room for second-guessing. The new starting rotation of Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Montas, Jameson Taillon, and Domingo German will be counted on to hold the Yankees and their 12-game division lead. The Yankees are hopeful a healthy Luis Severino can rejoin the rotation in September.
As for Bader, the Bronxville native plays an excellent center field and brings more speed to the lineup. But the Yankees likely won’t see it until September. Bader is currently sidelined with plantar fasciitis and is in a walking boot.
Anthony Rushing is on Twitter @TonyRushingNY
Baseline Sports NY is on Twitter @Baseline_NY
