MLB rumors: Rangers want Jordan Montgomery back, and he might get a $140 million contract.
Montgomery contributed to this year’s Rangers World Series victory. Perhaps they will reunite as the lefty looks for a nine-figure contract.
There are still plenty of big names available in MLB free agency as the offseason hits the one-month mark on the first day of December. One intriguing name to watch that is perhaps flying under the starting pitcher’s radar is former Texas Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery.
According to Jeff Passan, Montgomery, who signed ahead of studs Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, might be among the next starters off the market. His contract is anticipated to be in the neighborhood of $140 million, which is a respectable sum for a team that needs players in the rotation but isn’t prepared to pay $200 million for Yamamoto or Snell.
In 2023, Montgomery enjoyed his most successful professional season to date. He set career highs in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts while making 32 starts for the second time in seven MLB seasons. Montgomery changed as a pitcher after being dealt to the Rangers in late July, and he ended up being maybe the best trade acquisition of the 2023 campaign.
Montgomery recorded eight quality starts and was 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in his 11 regular season outings with Texas. In six of those starts—including the last four, in which he helped the Rangers win the pennant—he gave up one run or none at all.
But Montgomery wasn’t done there; he went on to win the World Series with the Rangers after having an incredible playoffs. In Game 7 of the ALCS, he pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief and recorded two shutouts, giving him the best ERA among Rangers starters during the playoffs (2.90).
A reunion the size of Texas?
Teams hoping to acquire Montgomery will have to contend with the Rangers, or perhaps the other way around. In any case, Passan says the Rangers want to get Montgomery back.
Both parties can benefit from it, especially in light of Montgomery’s early success in Texas. The Rangers’ rotation is in an interesting position going into 2024, and keeping Montgomery around would allay Texas’ concerns over the depth of the rotation.
