Explains why the Yankees made controversial trade with Jordan Montgomery

There’s no such thing as too much pitching unless you’re the New York Yankees. Why Did Brian Cashman Jordan Montgomery Trade As Of Record Date?

Montgomery was traded out of excess – at least that’s how Cashman is said to have seen it.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The AthleticCashman and the Yankees believe outfielder Harrison Bader has more value than Montgomery in the 2023 postseason.

New York’s rotation, at least on paper, is profound. The likes of Gerrit Cole, Frankie Montas, Nestor Cortes, Jameson Taillon, Luis Severino (when healthy) and more ensure a solid starting position. Should New York opt for a six-man rotation, either Domingo German or Clarke Schmidt will offer more depth.

At least that’s what the team thinks.

However, this judgment has some clear flaws. First, most Yankee fans can report that Cole can’t be trusted in the postseason, at least not recently. Taillon and Severino both have injury problems. And Montas just got traded, what if he can’t handle New York?

The Yankees think the Jordan Montgomery trade is worth the risk

Montgomery entered the trading deadline with a 3-3 record, 3.69 ERA and 3.91 FIP. Those are definitely respectable numbers.

Bader, on the other hand, is a former Gold Glove outfielder and a decent hitter at his best. He’s currently scoring .256/.303/.370 and is undeniably an asset to any playoff team.

Cashman has earned fans’ trust for moves like this. When experts (like me) question trades, Cashman is usually right.

But also Rosenthal Questions the motivation of the Americans here:

“Earlier this season, Cole said of Montgomery, ‘The more he throws, the better he gets.’ Over time, Montgomery has gained confidence in his stuff and less fear of reaching out. The mentality change led to better results — his 4.9 percent walk rate and 14.9 pitches per inning are both the lowest of his career. But from the Yankees’ perspective, he still wasn’t good enough.”

Montgomery also has postseason experience and would certainly have featured prominently in New York’s bullpen next October.

But it shouldn’t be. Instead, the 29-year-old right-hander could bring much-needed depth of rotation to a St. Louis team that could be in dire need of it.