MLB Rumors: Could Jordan Montgomery return to the Bronx?
Texas Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery has bounced around over the past several years. Last night, he pitched 6.1 scoreless innings as he led the Rangers to a win in Game 1 of the ALCS over the Houston Astros.
Montgomery is an impending free agent, and according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the veteran left-hander's stock is rising thanks to his resurgence in the postseason. Nightengale notes that his two former teams, the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals are expected to pursue him.
New York had all kinds of problems with their starting rotation in 2023. Frankie Montas missed the entire season and Carlos Rodon, who was signed to a six-year, $162 million deal also missed a good chunk of the season while struggling to the tune of a 6.85 ERA.
Montgomery made his Major League debut with the Bronx Bombers in 2017 and was in New York until the trade deadline in 2022. The Yankees shipped him to St. Louis for Harrison Bader.
In 32 starts this year with the Rangers and Cardinals, Montgomery went 10-11 with a 3.20 ERA. If the Yankees bring him back, he would be a significant upgrade in their starting rotation and could slot in next to both Rodon and staff ace Gerrit Cole.
MLB Rumors: Seattle a possibility for Blake Snell
In the same piece, Nightengale mentioned another very interesting possibility. Blake Snell is set to enter free agency along with pitchers such as Sonny Gray and Aaron Nola. The San Diego Padres left-hander is the odds-on favorite to win the Cy Young in the National League.
The 30-year-old won 14 games and posted a 2.25 ERA, which was the best mark in all of baseball. However, Nightengale notes an interesting potential fit for the veteran left-hander, listing the Seattle Mariners as a team to look out for.
Snell is a native of Seattle and would be an interesting fit for the Mariners. Nightengale also notes that if the Mariners were to sign him, they might be willing to trade from their starting pitching depth in order to acquire some position players.
The Mariners had been in trade discussions with the Cardinals earlier in the season, and Logan Gilbert was on St. Louis' radar. Should the Mariners sign Snell, perhaps the Mariners could resume trade talks with teams in need of starting pitching.
Other pieces they could look to trade include Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. Facing a rotation featuring Snell, Robbie Ray, Luis Castillo, and George Kirby would be a tall order.
MLB Rumors: Trio of teams targeting Yamamoto
Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamomoto is another arm that is expected to be highly coveted this coming winter. According to Nightengale, there are already three teams that have the 25-year-old righty on their radar.
Nightengale notes that the Los Angeles Dodgers are looking into the right-hander, with him being "high" on their wish list. The New York Mets and Yankees are also teams to keep an eye on.
The Mets traded Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander away at the trade deadline when it became clear that they would not be a serious contender down the stretch. They already have Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana at the top of their rotation, but adding Yamamoto would give them another true ace.
The Dodgers won 100 games during the 2023 season and cruised to their 10th NL West title in the last 11 years. However, they were completely overmatched by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS.
After finishing 16 games ahead of Arizona, the Dodgers were swept by their division rivals, marking the second consecutive year the team was eliminated in the NLDS.
What sank the Dodgers was their lack of pitching. With Walker Buehler out, they relied heavily on Julio Urias. However, he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, and his future in Major League Baseball is clouded.
Adding Yamamoto could alleviate some of the Dodgers pitching issues.