New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been under fire after a disappointing 2023 season. The end of that season without a playoff berth didn't end the criticism. He caught flack during the ALCS because of the performance of one notable former Yankee: Jordan Montgomery.
Cashman traded Montgomery to the Cardinals for Harrison Bader at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. He made it clear in the media after the trade that Bader had a better chance of making the postseason roster in New York than Montgomery.
Fast forward to 2023 and Montgomery has looked outstanding pitching for the Texas Rangers, including a standout performance in Sunday's ALCS Game 1 against the Astros.
Montgomery pitched 6.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts as the Rangers downed the Astros. He struck out Yordan Alvarez three times.
Yankees fans watching the ALCS had some thoughts...
Jordan Montgomery's Pretty Woman postseason moment has Yankees fans furious at Brian Cashman
Jordan Montgomery to Brian Cashman this offseason #Yankees pic.twitter.com/NjvShIrHNG
— John Hoey (@JohnnyHoey) October 16, 2023
The #Yankees traded Jordan Montgomery because they didn't think he could crack their postseason rotation. Here's what he just did vs. the Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS:
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) October 16, 2023
6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Jordan Montgomery postseason ERA since trade: 1.80
— No More Fielders 🧢 (@nomorefielders) October 16, 2023
This pretty much tells you everything you need to know about where the Yankees front office is at pic.twitter.com/c3D932WruI
There’s a real chance Jordan Montgomery, deemed not a postseason rotation pitcher by Brian Cashman, pitches in the World Series to Bryce Harper, deemed unneeded by Brian Cashman. https://t.co/FjTSwXR1zb
— Jerry Beach (@JerryBeach73) October 16, 2023
Correct my memory, Didn't Cashman say that Montgomery is not an October SP
— Bobby Milone (@BobbyMilone29) October 16, 2023
These are the same people who told him not to throw his curve ball.
Cashman probably somewhere reading his scrapbook of articles praising his trade of Montgomery for Bader the same way people would read old AIM chats they saved
— 2023-24 NY Rangers Power Play Observer (@brianspeaksnow) October 16, 2023
Cashman has been criticized for his roster building. Shipping out a pitcher capable of those kinds of performances in the playoffs isn't one for the résumé.
Montgomery came up through the Yankees organization. They drafted him in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 2017 at the age of 24.
When they traded him in 2022, Montgomery was 3-3 with an ERA of 3.69 in 21 appearances. He pitched 11 times for the Cardinals going 6-3 with a 3.11 ERA to finish the season.
St. Louis signed him to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration in 2023 and then traded him to the Rangers during their MLB trade deadline fire sale. He was 4-2 with an ERA of 2.79 in 11 appearances for Texas in the regular season.
The big question was what he'd do when given a starring role in the postseason. He had made one playoff start for the Yankees in the 2020 ALDS, going four innings and allowing one earned run.
The faith the Rangers put in him has paid off. In the AL Wild Card, Montgomery pitched seven score-less innings and got the win. In the ALDS, he stumbled a bit with four runs conceded in four innings but Texas won the game. He was back to winning ways on Sunday to kick off the ALCS.