Former Yankees Pitcher a Surprise Trade Deadline Winner

Former New York Yankees left-hander Jordan Montgomery is recovering from Tommy John surgery which has sidelined him all season. That didn't stop him from picking up an extra $500,000 on Thursday.

Ahead of the MLB trade deadline, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired Montgomery and closer Shelby Miller in exchange for a player to be named later.

Make no mistake: Miller was the big name in this deal, with his 1.98 ERA and 10 saves heading to a Milwaukee team contending in the National League Central. The price of business was Montgomery and the remaining money on his $22.5 million contract.

According to MLB.com, Montgomery also received an extra half-million dollars in the form of a bonus for having his contract traded.

That money could come in handy since Montgomery, 32, will be a free agent following the season. His prospects for landing a long-term contract are slim given his age and his recovery from surgery.

The southpaw's career trajectory has been trending downward for a while now. His made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Yankees, three years after New York selected Montgomery in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

Montgomery finished sixth in voting for American League Rookie of the Year after going 9-7 with a 3.88 ERA in 29 starts. But he never duplicated that success in subsequent seasons and the Yankees traded Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022 for outfielder Harrison Bader.

One year later, the Cardinals flipped Montgomery to the Texas Rangers. He went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 regular-season starts for the Rangers, helping Texas reach the World Series. The lefty made six postseason appearances (five starts) for the Rangers, going 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA during the playoffs as Texas won its first title.

He hoped to parlay that success into a long-term contract, but ended up signing a one-year, $25 million deal with the Diamondbacks for 2024 season. Montgomery posted disappointing numbers last year: 8-7 with a 6.23 ERA in 25 games (21 starts), leading him to exercise his player option for 2025.

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