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Three fallback options if the Cardinals can't sign Aaron Nola
By Curt Bishop
Jordan Montgomery
We know that the Cardinals are going to need three starters this winter, and in my opinion, the best options are on the free-agent market, where they could potentially reunite with an old friend.
The Cardinals traded Jordan Montgomery to the Rangers this year at the deadline in exchange for Thomas Sagesse, Tekoah Roby, and John King. That deal appears to be working out quite well right now for the Cardinals.
But Montgomery is an interesting pitcher because he's getting better. He was more of a ground-ball guy when the Cardinals picked him up from the Yankees last year. But before the trade to Texas, Montgomery was averaging eight strikeouts per nine innings with the Cards.
I wouldn't call him an ace by any means, but he's certainly trending in the right direction. His performance in the Wild Card Series against the Rays last week can attest to that. He finished the regular season with a record of 10-11 and an ERA of 3.20, which is his best mark since making his Major League debut in 2017.