Blue Jays: 3 players Toronto should trade for not named Marcus Stroman
By Mark Powell
Blue Jays Rumors: Tyler Montgomery has received interest from Toronto
It’s no secret that the Cardinals are selling off plenty of assets, which is why the first two players on this list are, well, players on the St. Louis squad. Toronto has been interested in Jordan Montgomery for a few weeks. He has an impressive ERA and was acquired last season at the trade deadline for Harrison Bader in a deal with the New York Yankees.
Montgomery has lived up to his end of the bargain. Unfortunately, the Cards have not, and are playing far under their expectations heading into the season. St. Louis’ front office is doing all they can to sell off expiring assets in preparation for a 2024 run.
As Jays Journal’s Eric Treuden stated in a recent article, Montgomery could provide some insurance for a Toronto team that has dealt with rotation uncertainty all season long:
"“The fit on the Blue Jays is very easy to see for a pitcher of Montgomery’s stature. With Alek Manoah representing a gigantic question mark and Hyun Jin Ryu’s seamless recovery another area of uncertainty, there’s a wide open spot in the current starting rotation. Gausman, Bassitt, Berríos and Kikuchi form one of the top one-through-fours in the league, but adding a proven starter who is not only a left-hander but has been pitching very well for the past few years would be a massive move for a Jays club eyeing contention.”"
While Kevin Gausman’s recent injury shouldn’t require an IL stint (we hope), it does provide even more of a reason for the Jays to add to their rotation. Montgomery allows that, and doesn’t come with the extra baggage.