MLB Rumors: Jordan Montgomery update, Cease-Orioles match, Valdez trade

MLB Rumors: Max Scherzer injury increases odds of Jordan Montgomery, Rangers reunion

The Rangers will be without Max Scherzer for at least half a season after the 39-year-old ace underwent back surgery. That could change the front office's Jordan Montgomery plans, according to Nightengale. The Rangers are expected to be "more aggressive" in their pursuit of Montgomery, who "would love to return to Texas."

Montgomery is a Scott Boras client, which means money rules the day. But, with Scherzer on the mend, Texas needs Montgomery's steady hand more than ever behind Nathan Eovaldi in the rotation. The Rangers dealt for Montgomery at the 2023 trade deadline and it ended up being one of the season's most impactful maneuvers. Montgomery was red-hot during the Rangers' World Series run, going 3-1 in six postseason appearances (five starts) with a 2.90 ERA and 3.90 FIP.

It was an up-and-down regular season for Montgomery, who started 0-7 with the St. Louis Cardinals before stacking a few wins and taking off after his move to Texas. Montgomery doesn't possess the same No. 1 ace traits as top free agents like Blake Snell or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but he's a bankable top-end rotation piece who now comes with valuable playoffs experience.

Montgomery played the best baseball of his career during his brief stint with the Rangers. His ability to learn from and pitch behind the likes of Eovaldi and Scherzer is no doubt a driving force behind his desire to return to the Rangers. So long as Texas puts together a suitable financial package, it's hard to imagine Montgomery preferring any other situation.