Well, the Cardinals made a move for another starter.
Well, I can safely say nobody saw this coming. And if you claim to have seen it coming, you are a liar and thief. The Cardinals traded Gold Glove centerfielder Harrison Bader, currently on the injured list with plantar fasciitis, for Jordan Montgomery of the New York Yankees.
Cardinals acquiring LHP Jordan Montgomery from the Yankees, sources tell me and @LindseyAdler. Return not yet known.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 2, 2022
The Cardinals clearly feel Dylan Carlson can handle centerfield, I have been vocal that I do not think that he should be the plan for centerfield, but they’ve made their choice. This is too shocking for me to really give you an opinion of the trade. It’s one year and two months of Montgomery for one year and two months of Bader, so that aspect is equal. Bader is the more valuable player when healthy, although that when healthy part is very much in doubt.
Can confirm Harrison Bader is headed to the Yankees in exchange for LHP Jordan Montgomery. @ByRobertMurray had the cardinals return
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) August 2, 2022
Anyway. I’ll miss Bader. He was a very fun player and felt like he was under appreciated by the fanbase, and I wish him nothing but success in New York. I am personally devastated for my dad, who I immediately called and whom compared it to the Ozuna trade. Assurances from me that those trades are not comparable did not make things better.
Montgomery is a very solid pitcher who is easily one of the five best on the Cards current rotation. So some may argue it was a necessary move. And we don’t know when Bader will be healthy again. Share your thoughts in the comments.