ST. LOUIS — Just before the clock struck 5 p.m. to end the MLB trade deadline, the Cardinals pounced on another deal for a starting pitcher.
The Cardinals confirmed on Monday evening they are sending centerfielder Harrison Bader to the New York Yankees in exchange for lefty starter Jordan Montgomery. The Yankees said the deal also includes either a player to be named later or cash considerations coming from the Cardinals.
Montgomery, 29, is 3-3 with a 3.69 ERA for the AL East leading Yankees this season. In six seasons in New York, Montgomery is 22-20 with a 3.94 ERA. He is under team control through next season. The earliest he can become a free agent is the 2024 season.
Bader has been on the IL for the Cardinals battling plantar fasciitis in his foot. In 2022, Bader is hitting .256 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 72 games.
The Cardinals drafted Bader in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida.
Bader, a New York native, won a gold glove last season with the Cardinals, and hit .246 with a .729 OPS, 52 home runs and 168 RBIs in six seasons with the Cardinals.
Montgomery is the second lefty starter the Cardinals have traded for in as many days, dealing for Jose Quintana from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.