Brian Fluharty | USA TODAY Sports

We know you remember Jordan Montgomery. The former Yankees southpaw made sure of that by going 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his first five starts with the Cardinals. But what about the guy the Bombers traded him for at the deadline?

We may finally start to see if Harrison Bader was worth the move. The outfielder has been sidelined since late June with Achilles tendonitis. But the Yankees believe the Bronxville native should be able to start a rehab assignment soon, according to NJ.com.

Bader has been hitting off a tee and his rehab stint could begin within the next week. Manager Aaron Boone said Bader will need to play several minor league games, though, before coming off the IL.

The Yankees have spun the decision to deal Montgomery as getting something for a guy who wasn’t in their long-term plans. Which is fine. But the move has not aged well with Bader sidelined and the team slip-sliding away. That said, Bader can change minds if he gets back on the field and produces. And when the Yankees get to the postseason — yes, they still will — he could be an extremely valuable player.

Bader does not bring a big bat to the lineup, but he can play defense and make things happen on the bases. He will also remove the center field stress from Aaron Judge and ensure Aaron Hicks is nowhere near the field. But Bader has to get there first.

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James Kratch can be reached at [email protected]

James Kratch is the managing editor of ESNY. He previously worked as a Rutgers and Giants (and Mike Francesa) beat reporter for NJ Advance Media.