5 potential trade destinations for Cardinals' Jordan Montgomery

With the Cardinals well out of contention, and after the devasting losses that continue to pile up, it's time to consider the possibility of selling at the trade deadline. This is something that fans and media members have been speculating may happen with the Cardinals continuing to slide. Entering Tuesday's 4th of July tilt, the Cards were 10.5 games out of first place in the NL Central.

No longer can the Cardinals justify their claims that the NL Central is a weak division. The Reds and Brewers are quickly pulling away from the rest of the pack. And so, the time has come to consider trading certain players on expiring contracts.

One of those pieces is left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who is 6-7 on the year with an ERA of 3.28. He has without a doubt been the Cardinals' best starting pitcher this season. But with the Cardinals so far under .500, he is a potential piece that contending teams may want as they put the finishing touches on their rosters. More than likely, Montgomery will not be back with the Cardinals in 2024.

The Cardinals acquired him from the Yankees at the deadline last August for Harrison Bader. The deal has worked out pretty well, but the left-hander's days in St. Louis may be numbered.

In this piece, we will discuss five potential landing spots for Montgomery at the trade deadline and which contending teams may want to take a flyer on the durable left-hander as the stretch run of the 2023 season approaches.

New York Yankees

Perhaps a trip back to New York is in the cards. I'm not suggesting that the Cardinals try to undo the Harrison Bader trade, but the Yankees are a team that is in need of some starting pitching. Though Carlos Rodon is on his way back and will start Friday against the Cubs, New York is still without Nestor Cortes and Frankie Montas.

Montgomery would be returning to a familiar and comfortable environment. Yankees fans were certainly sad to see him go last August, but this time, he could be a stopgap for the Bronx Bombers and help them make a push toward October.

Los Angeles Angels

Amsinger also noted that the Angels could be a possibility for Jack Flaherty, who is also on an expiring contract. But I don't see any reason why Montgomery couldn't be a fit there.

For the first time since 2015, the Angels actually have a chance to reach the postseason. Their biggest Achilles heel has been their pitching. Beyond Shohei Ohtani, the Halos don't have much starting pitching, but Montgomery could help with that. The Halos would be getting another experienced veteran lefty starter to go along with Tyler Anderson. Facing a top three of Ohtani, Anderson, and Montgomery in the postseason would be a tall task.

Boston Red Sox

Another team in desperate need of starting pitching, much like the Cardinals, is the Red Sox. Their offseason was similar to the Cardinals' in that neither team addressed their rotation holes. Boston let Michael Wacha and Nathan Eovaldi walk in free agency.

With that being said, Boston's major bright spots in the rotation have been James Paxton and Brayan Bello. I would imagine that neither of those starters are going anywhere at the deadline, especially not Bello. But Montgomery could be a fit in Boston.

Despite sitting in last place in the AL East, the Red Sox are still very much alive in the Wild Card race. Montgomery could reunite with Paxton, who was a teammate of his during his time in New York, and give the Sox a chance to gain some ground as they look to rebound from a disappointing finish in 2022.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have some solid starting pitching, but that doesn't mean they won't look to add more. With Jacob deGrom out for the season, the team does have a hole in its rotation. Montgomery could be the perfect guy to fill that role.

No, he wouldn't be the ace-caliber pitcher to replace deGrom, but the Rangers already have that in both Jon Gray and Nathan Eovaldi. Montgomery was solid for the Cardinals down the stretch last season and could provide similar results for the Rangers if they choose to take a chance on him.