‘Family’ Hurler Crushed By New York Yankees Trade

General manager Brian Cashman addressed most every team need leading up to this week's trade deadline. Cashman was wheeling and dealing in order to solidify the Bronx Bombers roster with an eye to win a World Series for the first time in a dozen years. However, when trades happen, real people and real lives are effected. Friends that are like family are torn apart. Former Yankees left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery is living this disturbing circumstance first hand, as he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday for outfielder Harrison Bader.

Cashman knows Montgomery, who is 3-3 this year with a 3.69 ERA, has been part of the Pinstripes organization for his entire career and this part of the business is tough. “I didn’t acquire Montas so I could move Monty,” the general manager told Greg Joyce of nypost.com. “Me and my staff entered the trade acquisition market of exports and imports trying to figure out the overall ecosystem of that roster and what fits best with a plan for October and how could we best be flying high at the best of our abilities when it counts the most in October and what gives us the most amount of quality choices? That’s what went into every single decision we made."

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Montgomery understands the business aspect of Major League Baseball. However, none of it makes it any easier on the player. The dejected pitcher addressed media members about an hour after being traded. “This is my family. This is all I know,” the lefty told nypost.com. “I still don’t really think I ever performed the way I should have here. I’m a lot better player than I’ve ever shown to the fans. But I think I was consistent, and I gave the team a chance to win.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been around the game long enough to know how much these moves hurt some players and the people that have to tell them. “The biggest part of it is just kind of that sadness of seeing a guy that you love and that you’ve been through a lot with and that’s done a lot for this team and organization,” Boone told reporters after the game. “Coming out of nowhere today where that happens, it’s hard delivering that news and saying goodbye.” The Bronx Bombers definitely got better but for one former player, it came at a steep price as Jordan Montgomery will try to form a new family with St. Louis.