Would a reunion with Jordan Montgomery make sense for the Cardinals?

At the trade deadline, the Cardinals shipped left-hander Jordan Montgomery off to the Rangers in exchange for Tekoah Roby, Thomas Saggese, and John King. The Cardinals had picked him up from the Yankees last year in exchange for Harrison Bader.

The 30-year-old lefty is 8-10 with an ERA of 3.46 this year in 27 starts between the Cardinals and Rangers. It's safe to say that he gave the Cardinals a little bit of everything during his time in St. Louis.

This offseason, the former Cardinal is set to enter free agency, and with three open rotation spots, it might be worth considering a reunion over the winter.

It won't be easy. Starting pitching is in high demand right now, and it's very possible that the Cardinals won't be able to accomplish all of their goals via free agency.

But that doesn't mean that a reunion wouldn't make sense. From the moment he was acquired from the Yankees to the moment he was traded, Montgomery was the Cardinals' most consistent starter. He could be trusted in games when the Cardinals desperately needed a win, and he often came through in the clutch.

Again, starting pitching will come at a high cost, whether it's in free agency or via trade, and the Cardinals are going to have to make some very tough decisions financially.

In this piece, we will explore a potential reunion with Montgomery and determine whether or not it makes sense for the Cardinals if they do decide to pursue the veteran lefty.

The Case For A Reunion

Montgomery has traditionally been more of a ground ball pitcher, not unlike former Cardinal Michael Wacha. The Cardinals are in desperate need of swing-and-miss pitching.

However, Montgomery has undoubtedly gotten much better in that category. This year, he is averaging eight strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Pundits also tend to harp on walks a lot, and the lefty is good in that category too, averaging just 2.4 free passes per nine innings this year.

As I mentioned in a previous piece about Wacha, Montgomery can't be the only free-agent pitcher the Cardinals target if they do decide to pursue a reunion. They'll still need to target higher-tier starters such as Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, Sonny Gray, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Lucas Giolito.

But Montgomery could be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter and maybe even profile as a No. 2 guy if he's at his best. He won't come cheap, but he'll more than likely be an affordable option for the Cardinals, as well as someone that the organization is familiar with.

The Downside

There really is no "downside" per se when concerning Montgomery, other than maybe that he isn't the ace the Cardinals are going to need. But there could be one problem the Cardinals run into.

The fact that Montgomery is a Scott Boras client might make things difficult, as Boras is one of baseball's most well-respected agents and fights hard to ensure his clients get the best deals in terms of money and years.

The asking price could be high, and the Cardinals may decide to look at other options such as Michael Lorenzen instead.