The Texas Rangers further fortified themselves for a championship run Sunday, acquiring left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals one day after finalizing a deal for ace Max Scherzer.
With the best offense in baseball, the Rangers tapped into their plentiful minor league system, sending two top prospects -- infielder Thomas Saggese and right-hander Tekoah Roby -- along with left-handed reliever John King to St. Louis.
While the cost was heavy, the 30-year-old Montgomery was one of the prizes of this deadline season, and adding him and Scherzer not only changes the Rangers' expected playoff rotation but protects them with right-hander Nathan Eovaldi hitting the injured list Sunday with forearm tightness.