Perfect Phillies trade target candidate: Jordan Montgomery
Lefty Jordan Montgomery is no stranger to trade deadline deals. Sent from the New York Yankees to the St. Louis Cardinals last summer, he’s one of those ideal fits for what the Phillies need in their rotation to finalize it. Let Sanchez become a depth piece for the ball club. They’re going to need him for that role. Get a real big league starter with a proven track record like Montgomery for the stretch run.
Montgomery has, somewhat quietly, put together a terrific season for the down-and-out St. Louis Cardinals. Now 6-7 with a 3.23 ERA through 18 starts, he did leave his most recent outing on Friday with an apparent leg injury. It’s something to monitor but not yet something to completely negate him from the Phillies’ trade deadline wish list.
Adding the left-handed punch of Montgomery to the rotation alongside Suarez makes the Philadelphia rotation even just a little harder to face. Suarez’s injury history and lack of experience could also make him vulnerable to an implosion. Having a second trusted lefty in the rotation for the remainder of the regular season has its benefits. Come playoff time, Rob Thomson can manage the bullpen differently and have one of them available out of the bullpen behind a righty starter to completely throw off any manager who dares to stack lefties in the lineup.
The Cardinals will be one of the bigger sellers at this year’s deadline and impending free agent Montgomery is someone they definitely have to move. The Phillies should pounce.
Why Jordan Montgomery is a perfect fit: Although his playoff experience isn’t extensive, pitching for the Yankees and succeeding shows he can handle the spotlight. For whatever it’s worth, he does have a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings in the postseason including 2.2 shutout frames against the Phillies in relief last year.