MLB Rumors: Cardinals reunions dead, Mets under-the-radar steal, Yankees foolish confidence

MLB Rumors: Cardinals reunions with Jordan Montgomery, Jordan Hicks appear dead

Despite the high-profile moves that the St. Louis Cardinals have already made -- namely inking Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson while recently trading for Andrew Kittredge, among other deals -- some fans still want the club to keep buying after the disaster that was the 2023 season. That's only been fueled further by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak insisting that they aren't closing any doors just yet.

However, two doors might be closed. Unfortunately, it's doors that would open two high-profile reunions with the Cardinals that no longer seem available to them in free agency.

Katie Woo of The Athletic ($) reported recently that the Cardinals bringing back Jordan Montgomery, who they dealt to the Rangers at the 2023 trade deadline, is all but impossible with the contract demands of the left-hander and what St. Louis would be willing to spend:

"A reunion with Jordan Montgomery remains incredibly unlikely, as Montgomery is set for a contract upwards of $100 million and the Cardinals simply won’t pay that. That remains true for any other free-agent starting pitcher remaining on the board (like Blake Snell or Shota Imanaga)."

That sentiment was also echoed by Woo when discussing the possibility of adding more relievers as she included flamethrower Jordan Hicks, who was also traded at last year's deadline, alongside Josh Hader and Hector Neris as relievers who appear to be out of the Cardinals' price range this offseason.

While that's an undeniable bummer if you're a Cardinals fan given how these familiar faces would clearly help the cause of rebounding from the immense shortcomings in the 2023 season, it's not the end of the world. St. Louis has built a veteran-laden rotation that could still add another arm or see a young prospect emerge as well. The bullpen, meanwhile, has a strong foundation, especially after trading for Kittredge.

If the doors are open still for Mozeliak and the Cards, though, it will be fascinating to see where those doors actually lead if it's not the top of the market.