Just before the buzzer of Tuesday's trade deadline, the Yankees and Cardinals snuck in a deal that raised some eyebrows.
New York is sending LHP Jordan Montgomery to St. Louis for outfielder Harrison Bader and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired OF Harrison Bader and a player to be named later or cash considerations from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for LHP Jordan Montgomery.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 2, 2022
This was the Yankees' second move to pad their outfield, also trading for All-Star Andrew Benintendi at the deadline. The catch is that Bader is currently on the injured list with plantar fasciitis, leaving the masses questioning why New York elected to give up starting pitching to make the deal.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, bolstered their rotation at the deadline, adding Montgomery just one day after acquiring LHP Jose Quintana from the Pirates.
For more on this trade between two playoff teams, The Sporting News has you covered with additional details below.
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Yankees-Cardinals trade details
Yankees get:
- OF Harrison Bader
- Cash considerations or a player to be named later
Cardinals get:
- LHP Jordan Montgomery
What this means for the Yankees
This is... confusing, to say the least.
On Monday, the Yankees made a move to add another arm to their rotation, landing Athletics RHP Frankie Montas. That gave New York several options for its rotation, adding Montas to a group of Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Jameson Taillon and Montgomery, with Domingo German and Luis Severino (who is still on the IL) as alternative options.
With Severino's recent injury history and German's inconsistency, it felt like that first group of five starters would be the firm rotation as the Yankees pursue their first World Series title since 2009. Just one day later, that rotation takes a hit as New York has moved Montgomery to the Cardinals for Bader.
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Bader has been on the injured list since June 27 with plantar fasciitis and the Yankees put a trade contingency plan in place in case he does not return this season, receiving a player to be named later from the Cardinals in that instance.
If Bader does return, New York will receive one of the best fielding centerfielders in baseball, coming off of a Gold Glove campaign in 2021. However, Bader has struggled at the plate throughout his six seasons in the majors and his .673 OPS in 2022 is his lowest since his rookie season.
What this means for the Cardinals
While St. Louis loses one of its key cogs in the outfield, it gains a much-needed starter to bolster its rotation. After adding Quintana from the Pirates on Monday, the Cardinals round out their five-man rotation with Montgomery, who has been great for the Yankees this season.
The 29-year-old lefty owns a 3.69 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 97 strikeouts over 114.2 innings pitched. His 21 starts leads the majors, giving the Cardinals a reliable arm every fifth day.
With Steven Matz (knee) and Jack Flaherty (shoulder) both on the IL, St. Louis desperately needed to add pitching as it looks to make a push for the NL Central, trailing the Brewers by three games as of Tuesday.
The Cardinals are also only one game behind the Phillies for the final NL Wild Card spot, ready to battle for a postseason bid with their new and improved rotation.