The Yankees appear to be contemplating a reunion with former rotation stalwart Jordan Montgomery, in accordance with the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. The membership has been “taking a look at” Montgomery as a doable offseason signing, and it seems to be barely extra than simply due diligence, as Heyman writes that “the Yankees have been specific about rotation targets.” Earlier experiences have linked such arms as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Frankie Montas, Yariel Rodriguez, and (earlier than he re-signed with the Phillies) Aaron Nola to the Yankees’ pitching wishlist, and it’s most likely protected to imagine the Bronx Bombers have some degree of curiosity in Shohei Ohtani despite the fact that he gained’t have the ability to pitch in 2024.
Clearly Montgomery is a recognized amount for the Yankees, having began his professional profession within the pinstripes after being drafted within the fourth spherical in 2014. Debuting within the majors in 2017, Montgomery posted a 3.94 ERA, 22.68% strikeout fee, and 6.93% stroll fee over his 502 2/3 innings with New York, establishing himself as a strong and even underrated member of the beginning 5.
Regardless of this success, the left-hander was dealt to the Cardinals on the 2022 commerce deadline in a transfer that since change into notorious within the Bronx. Harrison Bader got here from St. Louis within the one-for-one-swap, and other than a spectacular energy surge in the course of the Yankees’ 2022 playoff run, Bader’s time in New York was a disappointment. The outfielder performed in solely 98 common season video games as a result of accidents, and hit .237/.274/.353 over 359 plate appearances earlier than the Yankees put him on waivers this previous August.
In the meantime, Montgomery’s star (and free agent price ticket) solely continued to rise. He pitched effectively for St. Louis throughout the remainder of the 2022 season and into 2023, although the Cardinals’ personal struggles noticed Montgomery once more on the transfer on the deadline, this time to the Rangers. From there, Montgomery turned one of many key components of the Rangers’ World Sequence run — he posted a 2.79 ERA over 67 2/3 innings within the common season simply to assist Texas get into the playoffs, and the lefty then had a 2.90 ERA over 31 postseason frames.
MLBTR ranked Montgomery sixth on our listing of the winter’s top 50 free agents, projecting him for a six-year, $150MM contract. Nola obtained the identical projection and landed a seven-year, $172MM deal from Philadelphia, so it’s fairly doable Montgomery may also beat our prediction despite the fact that he’s six months older and has a previous Tommy John surgical procedure on his file. Nevertheless, Montgomery wasn’t eligible for the qualifying provide as a result of midseason commerce, so a workforce that indicators him wouldn’t should give up any draft picks or worldwide pool cash as compensation.
That is undoubtedly of curiosity to a Yankees workforce that surpassed the posh tax final 12 months, and thus would pay the upper penalty of two picks and $1MM of int’l bonus cash for signing any certified free agent. New York’s curiosity in such gamers as Nola, Ohtani, or Cody Bellinger signifies that the Bombers are open to signing QO-rejecting free brokers, although it’s honest to take a position that the Yankees may be prepared to make the leap for just one such participant. For example, Bellinger may be a little bit of a precedence since hitting is a larger want for the Yankees, however they might then additionally look one in every of many non-QO pitchers, together with top-tier names like Yamamoto or Montgomery.
It’s honest to take a position whether or not or not the previous historical past with Montgomery and the Yankees is an impediment in any negotiations. Naturally GM Brian Cashman would like to have a do-over of the Bader commerce, and since his considerations over Montgomery’s viability as a postseason starter have now been firmly confirmed improper, what higher public mea culpa than a $150MM contract? Montgomery would possibly see it as water beneath the bridge and be prepared to return to finish some unfinished enterprise within the Bronx. Alternatively, it appears doable that Montgomery merely desires to maneuver on from a corporation that when thought of him expendable, and would favor to hitch both a brand new workforce altogether or one in every of his different former golf equipment in Texas or St. Louis.
