Could the Cardinals buy low on Jordan Montgomery?

Something I'm getting tired of hearing about is how the Cardinals need a fifth starter. That's just not true. They don't need a fifth starter because they have enough of those guys, but they do need rotation help at the trade deadline if they intend to buy, which looks like the most likely path, contrary to some of my prior arguments.

But if the Cardinals are going to do this, they have to get it out of their head that a fifth starter is going to solve all of their problems. Alexa Datt was on Foul Territory this morning and talked about guys like Erick Fedde and Tyler Anderson as options.

While I think they would certainly help, they wouldn't help the team out enough. Instead, the Cardinals should aim much higher, and some fans have a guy in mind.

Jordan Montgomery is having a horrendous season, posting a 6.03 ERA in his 13 starts. But what if the Cardinals were to go after him at the deadline this year?

Could the Cardinals buy low on Jordan Montgomery?

Again, I understand that Montgomery has not been good this season, and if you believe the Cardinals can do better, I think that is a fair point. But let's look a little bit closer, shall we?

Last year, the Cardinals traded Montgomery to the Rangers, and he helped guide them to their first-ever World Series title. He even won the clinching games of the Wild Card Series and the ALCS. While he's struggled in Arizona, a change of scenery could help, and St. Louis is a place he's obviously familiar with.

The Cardinals got nothing but good things out of Montgomery up until they shipped him off to Texas, and he continued that trend with the Rangers, even establishing himself as a reliable postseason starter.

Interestingly enough, he does have a vesting option for 2025 that has already kicked in, so the Cardinals would have him for at least another season if they make this move. And because of how badly he has struggled, he likely won't cost too much, which makes him an interesting buy-low candidate.

So, in essence, the Cardinals could aim high but buy low at the same time. This is something that I would fully support. Guys like Fedde and Anderson just aren't going to be good enough and won't give you a chance to beat some of the best arms in playoff games.

The lack of spring training is certainly having negative effects on Montgomery. The same can be said for Blake Snell. At a certain point though, I've got to believe he'll figure it out. He's been around a long time and he does have a good track record. Even given the struggles, he's somebody I would trust in a postseason game.

Going back to somewhere that is familiar could really help him out. He knows Oli Marmol and the coaching staff, and many of the same guys who were here last year and the year before are still here, so he'd fit in pretty quickly.

Despite his struggles, I think this would be a no-brainer. It could be a low-risk, high-reward type move where the Cardinals could get a lot out of it, but not have to give up too much.

I would hope the Cardinals consider this at the deadline rather than go for back-end guys. Guys like Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi are the type of arms they should be focusing on.