Where former Gamecocks are playing after MLB trade deadline

This year’s MLB trade deadline saw a lot of maneuvering. For some South Carolina baseball alums, they moved onto new teams while others stuck around. With two months to go in the regular season, here’s a look at where each former Gamecock is playing and how they’re performing.

Jackie Bradley Jr.—Toronto Blue Jays

In his first season back with the Red Sox, Bradley hasn’t found much success in a crowded outfield. The days of “Win, Dance, Repeat” were long gone with Bradley Jr. the only remaining member from the 2018 Boston outfield.

In 92 games this season with the team, he slashed .210/.257/.321 with three homers and 29 RBI. As a result, the Red Sox released the former 2018 ALCS MVP on Aug. 4, and ended his second stint with them.

Five days later, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Bradley for the remainder of the season. He said everything transpired “quickly” as he didn’t have to wait long to find a new home.

“I’m excited to be here,” Bradley said. “It’s a great team, a contending team that’s done a lot of great things this year.”

[Join us Aug. 20 at Steel Hands Brewing for the 2022 Gamecock Central South Carolina football Kickoff Party]

In his first start with the Jays, Bradley laced a ninth-inning single into center field for his first hit with the team.

Jonah Bride—Oakland A’s

After a month-long stint on the injured list, Bride returned to action with the A’s on July 26.

In 12 games since then, he’s batting .238 with 10 hits in 42 plate appearances. For the season, he’s slashing .229/.289/.265 with no homers and a pair of RBI.

During an Aug. 12 game, Bride had a solid day at the plate against the Houston Astros, where he went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.

Wil Crowe—Pittsburgh Pirates

Crowe’s turnaround season with the Pirates has continued to get better.

Amongst all Pirates relievers, Crowe has pitched the most innings with 60.2 this season. In 46 appearances, he’s pitching to a 3.12 ERA with 58 strikeouts and 25 walks. Opponents are also barely batting above the Mendoza Line against him, with a .212 clip.

Grayson Greiner—Arizona Diamondbacks

As a depth catcher with Arizona, Greiner hasn’t found his way onto the roster much this season. He made a brief stint with the team in mid-May, where he picked up one hit across six at-bats.

Most of the time, the former Gamecock been playing for the Reno Aces in Triple-A. In 144 plate appearances, he’s batting .229/.315/.396 with six homers and 18 RBI.

Whit Merrifield—Toronto Blue Jays

Following years of Merrifield’s name tossed around in trade discussions, it finally happened. On Aug. 2, the Kansas City Royals dealt him to the Blue Jays, ending a seven-year run with the club.

In seven games with his new team, Merrifield has gone 6-for-24, all hits being singles, with eight strikeouts. Combined with his season numbers from the Royals, he’s slashing .241/.290/.346 with six homers and 43 RBI.

He joins Bradley as the only former Gamecocks playing north of the border this season. The two played crucial roles in helping South Carolina baseball win its first national championship in 2010.

Jordan Montgomery—St. Louis Cardinals

As the final hours of the trade deadline approached, Montgomery was still wearing his Yankees pinstripes. However, in a surprise move, New York dealt the South Carolina baseball alum to the Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader.

When Montgomery found out, he said he felt “pretty shocked” by the trade and that it was hard to process.

“This is my family. This is all I know. I’ve been playing with the same guys for years,” Montgomery said. “I still don’t think I ever performed at the way I should’ve up here. I think I’m a lot better player than I ever shown New York fans. But I think I was consistent, gave the team a chance to win.”

“I definitely worked my hardest. I tried to lead by example by working hard, setting a routine, sticking to the routine. Showed the younger guys what it takes to do it. And just kind of be they’re for them when they get sent down and they’re upset.”

Since arriving in St. Louis, Montgomery has been nothing short of excellent. In two starts, he’s struck out nine batters and walked three while not allowing a run yet. With the Yankees this season, he made 21 starts and pitched to a 3.69 ERA with 97 strikeouts and 23 walks.

Clarke Schmidt—New York Yankees

Despite the Yankees pitching woes as of late, Schmidt has yet to find his way back up to the majors. He was previously sent down to Triple-A with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders, where he’s made seven starts.

In his most recent outing with the Railriders, Schmidt fired six hitless innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters.

When he has been with the big league club, Schmidt has made the most of his opportunities. In 16 games, he’s posted a 2.40 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 15 walks in 30 innings pitched. However, he’s been kept on the back burner, as the Yankees have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games.

Max Schrock—Cincinnati Reds

From beginning to end, injuries have riddled Schrock’s 2022 campaign. On April 7, the former Gamecock landed on the 60-day injured list and didn’t return to the Reds until June 17. Now, after suffering a right patella fracture, he’s back on the injured list and done for the year.

In 13 games, Schrock slashed .154/.185/.154 with four hits in 26 at-bats.

Christian Walker—Arizona Diamondbacks

Despite being on a team 27.5 games out of first place in the NL West, Walker has been playing well in 2022.

At the moment, Walker is ninth in the MLB with 26 home runs, four shy of breaking his own personal best. In 110 games played, he’s batting .213/.313/.456 with 15 doubles and 63 RBI.

Taylor Widener—Arizona Diamondbacks

The third and final Diamondback to previously play for the Gamecocks would be Widener. Though, he hasn’t seen any big league action since June 6.

In four games with Arizona, he’s pitching to a 9.64 ERA with three strikeouts and two walks. During his time with the Aces in Triple-A, he’s struggling with a 6.83 ERA in 21 games.

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