The New York Yankees have resumed talks with free-agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. It's unclear if a deal is likely, with Heyman noting that a gap still exists between the two sides.
Montgomery, 31, spent the first five-plus years of his big-league career with the Yankees before they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2022 deadline. He was traded again, this time to the Texas Rangers, last deadline. Montgomery subsequently helped guide the Rangers to the franchise's first World Series title.
For Montgomery's career, he's amassed a 3.68 ERA (116 ERA+) and a 3.41 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 141 big-league appearances (all but one a start). CBS Sports ranked him as the 10th-best free agent available this winter, writing the following:
Montgomery is the starting pitcher version of cottage cheese. He's not exciting. No one looks forward to watching him. You don't want your team making big plans around him. But he's reliable, and he can be part of something good if he's put into the right situation. To be clear: none of this is meant to insult Montgomery. His high-grade control and durability have afforded him three consecutive good seasons. He's just better served when he's not cast as the main attraction.
The Yankees are expected to be without ace Gerrit Cole for at least the start of the season because of nerve irritation in his throwing elbow. That leaves the Yankees with a projected rotation that includes Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman, and Clarke Schmidt. The Yankees haven't announced their fifth starter, though right-handers Clayton Beeter, Will Warren, and Luis Gil appear to be the most logical internal candidates.
The Yankees will open their season on March 28 in Houston against the Astros.
