Did the Cardinals miss an opportunity with Jordan Montgomery?

The lefty is extension-worthy, but the window may have closed

Even after the decision to secure Miles Mikolas’ services through 2025, the Cardinals’ rotation — already highly dubious on its best day — is in a state of grave uncertainty beyond the current season. Mikolas, Steven Matz, and Jake Woodford are under contract or team control for 2024 and beyond, but Matz and Woodford aren’t exactly bedrock certainties. Adam Wainwright, who’s yet to make a start in 2023, will retire, and Jack Flaherty is eligible for free agency. So is 30-year-old lefty Jordan Montgomery, whom the Cardinals acquired from the Yankees last August in exchange for fly-catcher Harrison Bader. When it comes to Montgomery, the prospect of losing him to the market becomes more troubling by the start.

Montgomery said he was willing to discuss a contract extension leading up to Opening Day, but any talks that took place were either too cursory or unpersuasive. Like most players in their walk years (Flaherty may be an exception, given the need for him to prove health and effectiveness in his final season of arbitration eligibility) Montgomery has said he’s not interested in discussing a new contract once the regular season has begun, which — breaking news forthcoming — it has. So here we are.