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July 31 (UPI) — In a move to further strengthen their pitching staff, the Texas Rangers, who recently added Max Scherzer to their rotation, have acquired Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, as announced by both teams.
The trade was confirmed on Sunday night, with the Rangers sending infielder Thomas Saggese and pitchers Tekoah Roby and John King to the Cardinals. In return, the Rangers received Montgomery, Stratton, and international bonus pool money.
Jordan Montgomery, a 30-year-old left-handed pitcher, posted a record of 6-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts this season for the Cardinals. In the previous season, he recorded a 9-6 record with a 3.48 ERA in 32 starts split between the Cardinals and the New York Yankees. Montgomery has a career record of 34-23 with a 3.77 ERA in 130 appearances. He is set to become a free agent at the end of this season.
Chris Stratton, a 32-year-old right-handed pitcher, registered a record of 1-1 with a 4.36 ERA in 42 appearances for the Cardinals this season. Last season, he went 10-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 60 appearances split between the Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Stratton has a career record of 36-24 with a 4.50 ERA in 280 games. Similar to Montgomery, he will also be a free agent at the end of this season.
Tekoah Roby, a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher, has now become the Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect. This season, he posted a 2-3 record with a 5.04 ERA in 10 starts for the Class-AA Frisco RoughRiders. Over the last three seasons, Roby has recorded a 7-16 record with a 4.47 ERA in 38 minor league appearances.
Thomas Saggese, an infielder, is ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the Cardinals system. He had an impressive season, hitting .313 with 15 home runs and 78 RBIs in 93 games for the RoughRiders.
John King, a 28-year-old left-handed relief pitcher, achieved a record of 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in 15 relief appearances for the Rangers this season. Since his MLB debut in 2020, King has a career record of 10-10 with a 4.27 ERA in 87 appearances. He is eligible for arbitration this off-season and can become a free agent in 2027.
The Rangers, with a current record of 60-46, will face the Chicago White Sox (43-64) at 8:05 p.m. EDT on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. Meanwhile, the Cardinals (47-60) will take on the Minnesota Twins (54-53) at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday in St. Louis.
