As shared by the B/R Walkoff Twitter account, MLB insider Buster Olney reported that the New York Yankees will unlikely spend massive money on one of the top remaining free-agent starting pitchers, such as Jordan Montgomery and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
It's considered "extremely unlikely" that the Yankees spend big money on one of the top remaining SP like Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery, per @Buster_ESPN pic.twitter.com/QiBaMeNqHd
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) March 14, 2024
The Yankees might need a starting pitcher after Gerrit Cole underwent an MRI on his right elbow after one Spring Training appearance. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the 2023 American League Cy Young winner is struggling to recover between pitching activities.
While Cole visited renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, it was determined that the pitching ace need not undergo Tommy John surgery. Instead, he will be out of action for up to 12 weeks to rehabilitate his elbow.
That’s considerable time for a pitching ace to be out. Therefore, there’s an opening for either Snell or Montgomery to join the Yankees starting rotation.
Snell won the NL Cy Young with a 14-9 record and an MLB-leading 2.25 earned run average. He struck out 224 batters and finished with a 1.189 whip in 180 innings. He is among the seven pitchers in MLB history to win the Cy Young in the American and National leagues.
Meanwhile, Montgomery saw limited action in 2023, finishing with a 4-2 record and a 2.79 ERA in 67.2 innings. Signing with New York reunites him with the team he played for six seasons.
In addition to Snell and Montgomery, the Yankees can add former Padres ace pitcher Mike Clevinger to their starting rotation, which currently features Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, and recent acquisition Marcus Stroman.
-Lance Fernandez