Rangers May Already Have Their Trade Deadline Starting Pitching Acquisition

The Texas Rangers may be on the verge of being pitching-rich in the starting rotation if the next week goes as hoped.

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ARLINGTON — For a month, the Texas Rangers have tried to navigate life with a depleted starting rotation. That rotation could get a bump this week.

That’s if Jordan Montgomery has anything to say about it.

The veteran left-hander pitched what he hoped was his final rehab game in Albuquerque on Saturday. He hopped on a plane and flew back to Arlington, arriving in the Rangers’ clubhouse early Sunday morning. That was to meet with the team's medical staff and debrief after the game.

But Montgomery, who was a key piece of the Rangers 2023 World Series team, made it clear he is done with the Pacific Coast League.

“Get me out of that,” Montgomery said with a chuckle. “I almost gave up a home run with an 83 mph exit velocity yesterday.”

But he won’t make the final call. The organization will. But, if Montgomery can start this week, it might work out as the Rangers had hoped — and save them a trade deadline move.

Jordan Montgomery as a Pseudo-Trade Deadline Move

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

When Montgomery signed with the Rangers in February, he was still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Texas knew that and understood he would need time to build up. The hope was that he would be ready sometime after the All-Star break.

Nine games after the second half began, Montgomery feels ready. He's also itching to get back.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “I’ve been working really hard for almost a year, almost two years it feels like,” he said. “Just to be back would be good.”

Montgomery suffered the injury last spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was traded to Milwaukee at last year’s deadline as a cost-cutting move and the Brewers released him after the season.

He threw 75 pitches on Saturday. He threw 4.1 innings, which was his longest outing by innings so far. He threw four innings on July 12. He gave up five hits, one earned run and two walks against three strikeouts. More important was the pitch count. It was his seventh rehab game in what would best be described as a spring training ramp-up.

Reaching 75 pitches is important and Montgomery knows it. That’s the traditional “get-to” number for a starting pitcher to feel comfortable with returning to the Majors after a rehab assignment. Now the Rangers must be comfortable with it. That’s not manager Skip Schumaker’s call.

“That’s above my pay grade” he said twice on Sunday, stressing that president of baseball operations Chris Young and the rest of the front office would weigh in.

His potential return comes at a critical time. Leiter is still recovering from surgery and Cal Quantrill, who has taken his place in the rotation, is better suited for a long relief role.

Being able to plug Montgomery back in the rotation now would essentially be a trade deadline move without giving up any prospects, the best kind of deadline move.

There's also the tantalizing prospect of slotting him into the rotation when the Rangers face the Astros this weekend. Some of Montgomery’s best moments in that 2023 postseason came against the Astros in the American League Championship Series.

That is, if the Rangers think he’s ready to go. Montgomery believes it’s time.

“It’s not my decision,” Montgomery said. “But if they came to me and said, ‘Hey can you start for us in five days?’ The answer is yes.”