Getty Yankees manager Aaron Boone could use another starter, and Jordan Montgomery is still out there.
It has been one of the great mysteries of the spring in MLB. After a stirring performance in the postseason that led to the Rangers bringing home the World Series trophy, lefty Jordan Montgomery was not able to find a fit for the mega-contract he was believed to be seeking. All through the winter and here in the spring, it was nothing doing with Montgomery. Even as the Yankees and other teams suffered high-profile injuries to top pitchers, Montgomery is unsigned.
But according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the Yankees—as well as that other New York team—are still on speed dial with Montgomery and his agent, Scott Boras. The Yankees and Mets figure to be without their aces (Gerrit Cole and Kodai Senga, respectively) for the opening weeks and months of the season, and Montgomery is an easy fix in both cases.
Sherman says the door is still open to a return to New York for Montgomery, who was with the Yankees for the first six seasons of his career before he was traded to the Cardinals in 2022. At that time, the Yankees did not like that Montgomery did not have enough swing-and-miss stuff.
Apparently, that opinion has not changed, or he might be back in pinstripes by now. Still, the Cole injury has left Aaron Boone’s staff hobbled, and Montgomery is a quick fix.
Yankees, Mets Still Have Interest in Jordan Montgomery
Here’s what Sherman wrote on the matter this week: “And it should be noted that the Mets and Yankees do share this: They apparently have not shut the door on Jordan Montgomery. The Mets had a similar philosophy with Montgomery as another Scott Boras client, J.D. Martinez. They had a price in mind and if it ever fell to that they would act — as they did in signing a heavily deferred one-year, $12 million pact with Martinez.
“The Yankees have informed Boras what range they are comfortable with on Montgomery and the two sides did not seem in accord — even at this late date.”
Montgomery has been holding out for a long-term deal, as did several fellow clients of superagent Scott Boras. But those others—Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger, Giants third baseman Matt Chapman, Giants pitcher Blake Snell, Mets slugger JD Martinez—all settled on short-term deals with opt-outs that allow them to hit free agency again. That hasn’t happened with Montgomery.
Montgomery is 31 but has a career record of 38-34 with a 3.68 ERA. His early struggles in New York appear to be behind him, as he has been solid for two years since, going 19-17 with a 3.34 ERA in 64 starts for three teams. He was 3-1 in the Rangers’ playoff run to the championship last fall, with a 2.90 ERA.
It’s All About the Money
Spotrac has Montgomery’s value at $18.4 million per year, pinning his market value on a six-year, $110 million contract. Alas, no such contract has been forthcoming as Spring Training wears on.
Sherman points out that the starting point for Montgomery, salary-wise, was the deal signed by Aaron Nola in Philadelphia for seven years and $172 million. But Montgomery could see that was not forthcoming and lowered the range to, “Tyler Glasnow area (five years, $136.5 million).”
The Yankees, though, see Montgomery as a third starter. By all rights, postseason play notwithstanding, that’s pretty much what he is. Thus, Sherman wrote, the team would prefer him come in at “Eduardo Rodriguez’s four years at $80 million perhaps. But the lefty has shown he can play in New York and will not be shaken in the postseason.”
So the door is open, at least. But neither the Yankees nor Montgomery have yet walked through.