Jordan Montgomery is still a free agent deep into the offseason for the 2024 Major League Baseball season. Hypothetically, any MLB team that can afford his salary can sign him to a contract. However, NJ.com’s beat writer Randy Miller believes that only two teams remain in the hunt.
As tweeted by B/R Walk-Off, Miller shared that Montogomery prefers to return to the Rangers over the New York Yankees. He has played for both teams, joining the Rangers last July via a trade that sent him and Chris Stratton to Texas in exchange for Tekoah Roby, John King, and Thomas Sagesse.
The Rangers are Jordan Montgomery's 'first choice' over a return to the Yankees in free agency, per @RandyJMiller pic.twitter.com/rubvvX0CeL
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) January 4, 2024
Montgomery has a 4-2 record and a 2.79 earned run average in 11 games for the Rangers last season. He struck out 58 batters and gave up 61 hits in 67.2 innings. He also started in Game 1 of the 2023 American League Championship Series, which Texas won 4-0. He gave up six hits and had seven strikeouts in seven innings.
Earlier in the year, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals on a one-year, $10 million contract. He went 6-9 with a 3.42 ERA and struck out 108 batters in 121 innings.
Jordan Montgomery started his MLB career with the Yankees in 2017, finishing sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He had a 9-7 record and a 3.88 ERA in 29 games, striking out 144 batters in 155.1 innings.
Montgomery was with the Yankees until 2022, wherein he got shipped to the St. Louis Cardinals for Harrison Bader, a player to be named, and cash considerations. It was in St. Louis where Montgomery earned his first career complete game.
With him still undecided, Spotrac estimates the average annual salary he deserves is $18.4 million. The website compared Montgomery’s rightful yearly income to the deals Joe Musgrove, Chris Bassitt, and Tyler Anderson signed.
-Lance Fernandez