If the St. Louis Cardinals decide to sell at the MLB trade deadline, could they opt to deal a pitcher only to re-sign him next year?
The St. Louis Cardinals were supposed to be one of the World Series contenders in the National League this season. Thus far, however, the team is sitting at the bottom of the standings in their division and has one of the worst records in the entire National League. With that, the baseball world is waiting to see if the Cardinals will sell at the deadline, or if they will opt to make a push to add players for a late-season push for a postseason berth.
During the latest edition of FanSided's "The Baseball Insiders" podcast, MLB insider Robert Murray and co-host Adam Weinrib discussed candidates that the Cardinals could opt to trade away. Starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery was one name brought up by Murray as a potential trade chip for the Cardinals.
Weinrib mentioned the possibility of the Cardinals trading Montgomery, only to bring him back as a free agent in 2024. Murray agreed with that possibility and also brought up that if the team was to move on from Montgomery and Jack Flaherty, they'll need some starting pitching for 2024, which is already an area of weakness this year.
You can listen to Murray and Weinrib's comments in the latest episode of "The Baseball Insiders" podcast in the YouTube video below at the 7:46 mark.
MLB Rumors: Could Cardinals trade Jordan Montgomery only to re-sign him after the season?
Last year, the Cardinals decided to bolster their starting rotation, with Montgomery being one of their acquisitions. To secure his services, St. Louis had to trade outfielder Harrison Bader to the New York Yankees for Montgomery. It was a deal that worked out for both sides. Bader was an immediate improvement to their batting order once he was healthy, while Montgomery was stellar on the mound since donning a Cardinals uniform.
Montgomery started in 11 games for the Cardinals last season, and he picked up a 6-3 win-loss record, a 3.11 ERA, a 1.048 WHIP, and one shutout. Additionally, Montgomery recorded 61 strikeouts and 13 walks in 63.2 innings.
This season, in his final year under team control, Montgomery has struggled to pick up wins. In 14 starts so far this year, Montgomery recorded a 3.91 ERA, a 1.340 WHIP, a 3-7 win-loss record, 73 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 78.1 innings.
A player getting traded by their team and then rejoining them after the season is nothing new. For example, after trading Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 season, where he won the World Series, the Yankees re-signed him.
We will have to wait and see what the Cardinals' strategy will be for the Aug. 1 trade deadline. If they do sell one of their starting pitchers, fans will be wondering if they could bring one of them back as a free agent.