The Yankees reportedly felt Harrison Bader would be of more valuable to the team, both in this year’s playoffs and through next season, than Jordan Montgomery, leading to the decision to trade the lefty starter just before Tuesday’s deadline.
Montgomery didn’t seem interested to talk about that reality when asked about facing his former team on Saturday night, less than a week after they traded him.
“If [Cashman] thinks that, I don’t care,’’ Montgomery said, via the New York Post. “I’m excited to be wanted. I’m a Cardinal now.
I’ll give it my best.”
Montgomery is embracing his new surroundings, but even he admits that he would have preferred to face a different team in his Cardinals debut, not the one he had pitched for his entire big-league career.
“I didn’t want to face them the first time I’m pitching for a new organization, but I’m a competitor and will shake off the nerves,” Montgomery said.
“It’s awkward. It’s strange timing, but it’s a business and I’ll treat it like any other game.”
Montgomery was emotional after hearing about the trade, saying how he would miss his “family” in New York, but now, he is with a different playoff team and given an immediate chance to show his former squad what they’re now missing.
“It’s a good baseball team,’’ Montgomery said. “If I could be somewhere other than New York, it would be here.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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