MLB Rumors: Yankees could encourage reunions with 2 former pitchers

The New York Yankees voluntarily traded Jordan Montgomery -- then considered a back-end starting pitcher -- to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Harrison Bader. That trade did not work out in their favor, as Bader struggled to stay healthy and was eventually waived. Montgomery, meanwhile, emerged as an ace with the Cardinals and eventually Texas Rangers, where he won a World Series.

Montgomery is now one of the more sought-after starting pitchers in a relatively weak market. It'll cost quite a lot for any interested suitor to acquire him, including the Yankees. However, his familiarity with New York may make the Yankees a more attractive fit, even though Brian Cashman gave up on him once before. While Cashman has some explaining to do in that sense, New York needs starting pitching, which means a Montgomery reunion makes sense on paper.

It's no secret that the Yankees preferred acquisition is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is just 25 years old and is one of the most accomplished Japanese starters to ever make his way to MLB. However, the Yanks have plenty of competition for Yamamoto, and it's smart for Cashman to arrange some backup plans.

Another short-term fix for the Yankees is reportedly Frankie Montas, who New York acquired via trade, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Montas struggled to stay healthy since acquired from the A's, so the Yankees don't really know what he can offer at this point in his career. If the oft-injured Montas is the 'answer' Cashman is looking for, don't expect fans to sign off with approval.

MLB Rumors: Detroit Tigers line up Eduardo Rodriguez replacement

The Tigers are unlikely to re-sign Eduardo Rodriguez despite his affinity for the Motor City. E-Rod opted out of his contract, making him a free agent in the first place. The Tigers ace had an outstanding season, and thus will receive a far larger contract than Scott Harris is willing to give. This is why Harris tried to trade Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline, only to have that deal nixed by E-Rod.

The Tigers have pitching prospects in their system, as well as the likes of Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal who could step into Rodriguez's shoes. However, a veteran starter Detroit could rely on is an important get for Harris this offseason. Per Jon Morosi, the Tigers are interested in Twins free agent Kenta Maeda, who could eat those innings and be featured near the top of Detroit's rotation.

Maeda was outstanding in the shortened 2020 COVID-19 season, finishing second place in AL Cy Young voting. Since then, he has struggled to stay healthy, and last year had an ERA over four with Minnesota.

If the Tigers could sign the veteran to a short-term deal, then perhaps he's worth the gamble. Should the Tigers struggle Maeda would serve as a rental they could ship off at the trade deadline. The pairing makes more sense than some might think on paper.

MLB Rumors: Could Braves, Blue Jays make a play for Shohei Ohtani?

Jon Morosi named the Braves and Blue Jays as potential dark horse suitors for Shohei Ohtani. While it's still early in Ohtani's free agency, it's tough to believe either team could make up the ground needed to pry Ohtani away from the Dodgers or Cubs, at least per recent reporting.

Morosi makes sure to definitively state the Braves make sense from a competitive standpoint, rather than a financial one:

"The Braves appeal to Ohtani from a competitive perspective. His best opportunity to win is with a franchise that has an abundance of young, star-level position players under contract for the long term. The Braves fulfill that category better than any other MLB franchise," Morosi wrote.

It's tough to believe Alex Anthopoulos would have the financial approval necessary to sign Ohtani, as it would certainly put the Braves above the luxury tax and in serious danger of losing draft capital. Atlanta also needs starting pitching, and Ohtani cannot provide that in 2024. Unless Shohei is open to a short-term, high AAV contract, consider this match a dream scenario rather than one likely to come true.

As for the Blue Jays, Morosi said Toronto "are serious about pursuing Ohtani, and Toronto (MLB's lone franchise outside the U.S.) presents a unique opportunity for the sport's foremost international icon."

If the Jays are serious players for Ohtani, then they should not trade Bo Bichette. They also should not ink Matt Chapman just yet, as they'll likely need that money for the two-way star.