Yankees and Star Pitcher Reconnect
Once again, the Yankees are trying to get back together with a very good southpaw.
The New York Yankees are still trying to bolster their pitching staff as they get ready for the 2024 season to start.
Blake Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner, signed a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants but was able to opt out after the first season. The Bronx Bombers were already denied the opportunity to sign him. But the Yankees also have another alternative, one they are familiar with.
The Yankees and free agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery have resumed talks, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Although there is a difference in the goals of both parties, negotiations have started. Heyman claims that Montgomery is starting with the base value of Aaron Nola’s seven-year, $172 million contract.
From 2017 until the middle of 2022, Montgomery, 31, was a dependable starter for the Yankees. He was a tough innings-eater who could withstand the bright lights of New York. But the Yankees didn’t think his ceiling was all that high, and at the 2022 trade deadline, they struck a now-famous deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader.
Before being moved again at the deadline in 2023, Montgomery developed into a top-tier arm for St. Louis, helping them during the 2022 stretch run. Montgomery had a 3.31 ERA while wearing the Cardinals uniform.
Montgomery proceeded to disprove his old team after being moved to the Texas Rangers at the 2023 deadline by spearheading the team’s first World Series victory. Before having an incredible postseason, he had a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts during the regular season. In six games, he was 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA, 17 strikeouts against just 5 walks.
The Yankees’ pursuit of a reunion makes perfect sense, given the success of their former homegrown pitcher. With top pitcher Gerrit Cole sidelined for at least a month or two due to elbow inflammation, the Bronx Bombers have turned adding a high-pedigree starter from a luxury to an absolute need.
