RANGERS MAKE ANOTHER MOVE FOR MONTGOMERY
The Texas Rangers acquired pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher John King, infielder Thomas Saggese and pitcher Tekoah Roby.
What does it give the Texas Rangers
The Rangers continue to go all in! Montgomery had been one of the few bright spots with the Cardinals this season (3.42 ERA in 121 innings). Expect him to form a formidable top three at the front of the rotation (with Max Scherzer and Nathan Eovaldi, once the latter returns from injury). Stratton will join an improved Rangers bullpen and pitch in middle relief. His strikeout rate (9.9 K/9) should help Texas. The Texas pitching staff needed an upgrade and this deal, combined with the Scherzer trade, addresses those needs in a major way.
What does it give the St. Louis Cardinals
King has pitched in 15 games with the Rangers this season. With the Cardinals trading away multiple pitchers, he is likely to stay on the 26-man roster as either a starter or reliever going forward. Saggese and Roby are both quality prospects. Saggese has been hitting extremely well in Double-A ball this season (.313, 15 HR, 78 RBI), so he could become a big-leaguer one day if he continues that progression. Roby has a four-pitch mix that has him on track to rise through the minor leagues as a starting pitcher.
Fantasy impact
Montgomery has had a valuable fantasy season so far, so a trade to a better team should enhance his numbers going forward. After getting traded at the deadline last year, he became the Cards' best starter. Stratton does not offer much value because he most likely will not see many high-leverage innings with Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith around in Texas. The three players heading to St.Louis are not on the fantasy radar for the time being, although both Saggese and Roby should be on the minds of keeper-league owners.
