The New York Yankees‘ decision to trade Jordan Montgomery may be under even more scrutiny now than it had been.
Plenty of words had been typed about that trade over the past few weeks. Montgomery has been dominant since heading to St. Louis, performing at an ace level as he has allowed just one run on 13 hits and three walks in his 25.2 innings, striking out 24 batters. The Yankees could certainly use that production in their rotation.
Jordan Montgomery needed by New York Yankees even more now
To make matters worse, Montgomery was traded for an injured outfielder. Harrison Bader could be the answer in center but he needs to get on the diamond first. However, the Yankees made this deal with an eye to the future.
The problem is that Montgomery is needed even more in the present. Nestor Cortes Jr., who has been a revelation himself this year, is heading to the Injured List with a strained groin. The Yankees rotation depth, which had been question before the trade deadline, is back in focus once again.
This would be exactly the time that a pitcher such as Montgomery would be needed. He could step into that void, providing the Yankees with another solid option for the rotation. Instead, they will need to rely upon question marks and hope for the best.
As it was, trading Montgomery was not a popular move. The deal had been second guessed almost from the moment it was announced. The Yankees finally had the rotation depth they needed for a span of minutes before trading it away. And now, that decision to trade Montgomery looks even worse.
The New York Yankees could use Jordan Montgomery more than ever right now. Unfortunately, he is with the Cardinals instead.