The Cardinals have already shown the template. Last offseason, they wanted a veteran starter who could help immediately and still carry trade value later, and that’s exactly how the Dustin May move played out.
May logged 21 starts in St. Louis before getting dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers with JoJo Romero for No. 5 prospect Alexander Frias and No. 11 prospect Josiah Ragsdale.
That kind of setup is worth revisiting, and Jordan Montgomery fits it cleanly.
Montgomery isn’t a stranger to St. Louis.
He was part of the Cardinals’ last playoff team in 2022 after arriving from the New York Yankees that summer. The next year, the Cardinals sent him to the Texas Rangers during a fire sale, and he went on to win a World Series there.
Since then, though, the road has been rough.
He lingered on the market before the 2024 season, then turned in the worst year of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks. After that came another long stretch away from consistent work: Montgomery missed the entire 2025 season and most of the 2026 campaign. In 2026, he made 13 appearances out of the Rangers’ bullpen and posted a 4.15 ERA.
Now 33, the left-hander is headed back into free agency, and the Cardinals should be ready to make a call as soon as the market opens. The biggest reason is simple: he finally appears healthy, and that matters more than anything after the last few years. Signing late did not help him in 2024, so this time around he should have a full offseason to get ready for 2027.
The price should be manageable, too, because his recent track record will push it down. But the upside is still there.
From 2021 through 2023, Montgomery put together a 3.48 ERA across 94 starts, and that’s the version of him St. Louis would be betting on.
If he signs early enough, he could have the kind of normal preparation that never really came together over the past couple of seasons.
For the Cardinals, the fit is obvious. They need a veteran arm to go with their younger pitchers, and Montgomery brings more than innings.
He knows what winning looks like, with a World Series ring on his resume and a playoff appearance in a Cardinals uniform. If St.
Louis ends up needing to pivot again at the deadline, he also gives them the same kind of trade flexibility they just used with May.
That’s why Montgomery should be near the top of the list when free agency opens.
In Other News...
Mizzou Faces A Defining SEC Test With Texas A&M Coming In
A close look at Missouris next SEC matchup suggests how much is on the line when Texas A&M comes to town. ESPNs FPI has the Week 6 game essentially dead even, giving the Tigers a narrow edge at 51.6 percent, which fits the way both teams have looked early in the league slate.
Missouri has earned that slight confidence boost with an offense that has been productive, especially through Austin Simmons passing and Jamal Roberts work on the ground in the win over Florida. Texas A&M, meanwhile, arrives needing more from quarterback Marcel Reed, whose play has lagged behind what he produced a year ago, and that puts extra weight on how the Aggies handle a test that could shape both teams SEC standing. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Offense Is Suddenly Passing An Early SEC Stress Test
Missouris offense has spent the early part of SEC play making a strong case that last seasons success was no fluke. Even with the usual league wear and tear setting in, the Tigers have kept moving the ball efficiently and looked increasingly comfortable under new pieces around the attack, a sign they are adapting faster than plenty of observers expected.
The intrigue now is how sustainable that pace can be as the schedule stiffens and the roster keeps absorbing hits. Missouri has had to lean on transfer quarterback Austin Simmons and a reshaped receiving group while waiting for running back Ahmad Hardy to return from a gunshot injury, and the way those parts hold together will go a long way toward defining the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Defense Just Silenced A Major SEC Concern
Missouris 45-17 win over Florida came with a clear defensive message attached, and it was the kind of response the Tigers have been waiting for. After dealing with SEC run-game issues at times, Mizzou looked far more sound against the Gators, holding up well at the edges, fitting the outside zone better and tackling with more purpose throughout the afternoon.
Floridas leading rusher, Jadan Baugh, broke free for an early 12-yard run, but the Tigers shut the door after that and never let him get going. Missouris front and its pursuit did the job all game, and Pro Football Focus graded the effort as the Tigers best against the run this season, a sign that the group may have found something real as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]