The Yankees announced Tuesday that they acquired OF Harrison Bader from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for LHP Jordan Montgomery right before the 2022 MLB trade deadline.
But the Yanks won't see Bader on the field yet, as he is currently dealing with plantar fasciitis and is in a walking boot. The Cardinals did say that they expected him to be back at some point this season.
With Montgomery on the move, that leaves the fifth starter position open, which might be concerning. Domingo German is back but he just returned and has been streaky. Luis Severino was moved to the 60-day IL as he is dealing with a lat issue as well.
"Pretty shocked. Still setting in I guess," Montgomery said after the trade was announced.
"It’s my family. This is all I know. I’ve been playing with the same guys for years. … It’s just kinda tough."
Montgomery has struggled recently, allowing eight earned runs over his last 6.1 innings. He had a 4.91 ERA over 29.1 innings in July.
However, as the back end starter, Monty has been solid all season with a 3.69 ERA over 21 starts. He usually eats up innings and the Cards will see that now. So, while the Yankees were reportedly looking for a starter like Pablo Lopez from the Marlins before the deadline, GM Brian Cashman might have to explain this one.