The New York Yankees had concerns about their pitching depth even before their top pitcher Gerrit Cole got injured and is expected to be out for at least the first few weeks of the season. at least the first few weeks of the season.
After failing to sign Blake Snell, who went to the San Francisco Giants, the Yankees are now expected to address their needs by signing Jordan Montgomery, the best available pitcher in the market. “I think Montgomery will ultimately end up in New York where it all began for him,”Ben Verlander predicted on Fox Sports
. “With the news of Gerrit Cole out for maybe three months, the Yankees need someone to fill the void in that rotation and Montgomery is a great fit.” The New York Yankees and Jordan Montgomery Have a HistoryMontgomery started his career in the Bronx,
pitching five full seasons
with the Yankees before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022. While he was decent in New York, he has been performing even better since then, winning a World Series with the Texas Rangers and having his best season in 2023 with a 3.20 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 32 starts. While a reunion could make sense on paper, with Montgomery being the best available fit and the Yankees having the greatest need for a pitcher, the cost of the reunion might be an issue. New York Yankees’ Pitching Target Jordan Montgomery Is Seeking a Contract in the Range of $172 Million
“Montgomery’s camp compares him to Aaron Nola, who got $172 million over seven years,”
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported
, adding that “sources say they are back in contact” though there is a “gap” in negotiations. While that’s a high cost for a Yankees team that is already facing a significant luxury tax hit, the teamlikely wants to avoid new deals with high annual average values
(AAVs) rather than smaller salaries over the long term. The Yankees offered Snell a six-year, $150 million deal before he went with a high-AAV deal with an opt out in San Francisco, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale
. They might now be willing to extend a similar offer to Montgomery. Then there is the question of whether or not Montgomery would be open to returning to the team that traded him awayfor little in return
. Montgomery might hold some bitter feelings about that, but the Yankees found a way to add veteran pitcher Marcus Stroman this offseason despite their own public issues“There’s a clear on-paper fit for a return to the Bronx,” Anthony Franco wrote for MLB Trade Rumors.
. “While Montgomery had some parting shots for the front office after being traded to St. Louis at the ’22 deadline, Stroman had also publicly criticized the Yankees before signing his deal.” If the Yankees do reach a deal with Montgomery, he would likely become the team’s rotation leader until Cole returns. With Opening Day looming, he almost certainly wouldn’t be ready at the start of the season either, but there’s little question that he can eat a lot of innings for whatever team he joins next.Franco stated that Montgomery most likely won't join the starting rotation on Opening Day due to not having much practice in Spring Training, but he has been very resilient since having Tommy John surgery in 2018.
The New York Yankees are in touch with free agent pitcher Jordan Montgomery again as their star pitcher Gerrit Cole is dealing with an injury.
“Montgomery probably wouldn’t step into the Opening Day rotation given his lack of competitive Spring Training work, but he has been incredibly durable since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018,” per Franco.
