Old Friend Jordan Montgomery Could Be Exactly What Cardinals Need

Between now and the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline on Aug. 3, it would be very surprising to see the St. Louis Cardinals make a splash.

Speculation and rumors have picked up linking the club to a wide range of trade candidates. When it comes to the Cardinals, their biggest need right now would be a starter, especially with Matthew Liberatore struggling overall this season. But, again, the Cardinals aren't going to do anything crazy. You're not going to see the Cardinals go out and pay a high price for a rental like Tarik Skubal or Freddy Peralta. It's just not going to happen.

The Cardinals are very good and entered the day on Thursday with a 48-43 record. The standings are so tight that the Cardinals are two games out of a National League Wild Card spot. The Cardinals are very good, but are they contenders at the same level as contenders like the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers or even the Atlanta Braves? Likely not. The Cardinals have a few pieces, like Dustin May, who could bring back solid returns ahead of the trade deadline if the club went that route instead. If the Cardinals are playing well enough to warrant a pseudo strategy of buying and selling, or maybe even just buying, we're not going to see the club give away top prospects in Chaim Bloom's first year as the president of baseball operations.

The Cardinals Should Call The Rangers

Aug 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jordan Montgomery against the New York Mets at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

If the club does enough to warrant some sort of addition, a cheap depth starter would be the path to take. One guy the club should call about is old friend Jordan Montgomery.

The 33-year-old is a member of the Texas Rangers' organization, but hasn't pitched in a big league game yet this season. In fact, he hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2024 as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He missed the entire 2025 season after Tommy John surgery and has been working his way back since.

Also, it just so happens that he's on a minor league rehab assignment right now just a few weeks away from the deadline. He began a minor league rehab assignment on June 21 and has made four starts overall. He has been sharp and has allowed just two earned runs in eight innings pitched. When pitchers begin a minor league rehab assignment, they have a maximum of 30 days down in the minors before they need to be recalled or optioned. For Montgomery, he still has some time left. So far, he hasn't thrown more than 40 pitches in a rehab start, so he has room for progression still.

Still, he's the type of guy the Cardinals should be all over if they try to add. He has familiarity with the Cardinals' organization, of course. He was in town for parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He's making just $1.25 million this year. The Rangers are loaded with pitching, so it wouldn't be the craziest thing in the world if Texas were willing to deal from the surplus. Plus, with Montgomery already on a rehab assignment, he should be back in the majors very soon as well.

There's been a lot of noise out there about various guys the Cardinals could target. Most don't make a lot of sense. Montgomery is someone who would.

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