Brian Cashman: ‘This is the space we knew we’d be in’ with Jordan Montgomery trade

Jordan Montgomery is pitching as well as humanly possible in St. Louis, while Harrison Bader has yet to officially put on pinstripes.

However, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said on Tuesday’s episode of “The Show” podcast with The Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman that he has no regrets over the surprising trade deadline move.

“We made some tough decisions and some tough recommendations,” Cashman said. “We traded a quality starter and homegrown player in Jordan Montgomery that was obviously doing well for us. Knowing that you have to give to get, and we were looking to satisfy an area of need but you were going to have to wait on it.

“And we are in that space where Jordan Montgomery ultimately has taken the ball every five days and we are waiting on Bader to get healthy and join our band of merry men. We were in the space I knew we’d be in when we made that trade.”

No matter how well or poorly Montgomery pitched for the Cardinals, the Yankees’ reality with Bader wasn’t going to change. The 28-year-old Gold Glove center fielder is out with a foot injury that has him in a boot and hoping to join the team in September for the stretch run.

“We were plus defense at every position except center field, so now we are in position if we can unpack that present, which we expect we can, we just have to wait on it for a period of time,” Cashman said. “When we do Aaron Boone will have a legitimate choice in center field that will hopefully serve us well. Those are hard to get and that’s why the cost was so extreme. So, stay tuned and we’ll see how it plays out. No regrets, because this is the space we knew we’d be in… You gotta rob Peter to pay Paul sometimes.”

Montgomery has been magnificent for the Cardinals, winning all four of his starts while allowing one run over 25 2/3 innings. That streak started with five shutout innings against the Yankees and continued on Monday when the 29-year-old lefty threw a shutout against the Cardinals.

“I play baseball to compete, I enjoy pitching and competing,” Montgomery said after the game. “I have faith in my stuff, and you’re going to hit a sinker into the ground. … I don’t understand what the narrative is about me because I’ve been a good pitcher my whole career. I expect a lot out of myself. I think my stuff plays, and you can always count on me competing out there.”