MLB Rumors: Yankees ready to ditch Jordan Montgomery again for fellow ace

The New York Yankees weren't able to land Yoshinobu Yamamoto after multiple emphatic overtures to the three-time Nippon Professional Baseball MVP. Now, their attention turns toward the rest of the free agent pool. According to Andy Martino of SNY, the expectation is that New York will make "at least one impactful addition" to their pitching corps ahead of the 2024 season.

Jordan Montgomery, who pitched several gems en route to the Texas Rangers' World Series title, has been tied to New York. Montgomery spent the first five and a half years of his MLB career with the Yankees and Hal Steinbrenner can outbid Texas in his sleep.

While the Yankees have talked to Montgomery, per Martino, New York views fellow free agent Blake Snell as a "more likely fit." The 31-year-old Snell, who won National League Cy Young with the San Diego Padres in 2023, has privately expressed interest in joining the Yankees. Who wouldn't want Aaron Judge and Juan Soto backing them up on offense?

The Yankees will pursue Snell "aggressively, but not stupidly" to see if his next contract falls into what the team dubs an "acceptable deal zone." The Yankees were willing to eclipse $300 million for Yamamoto, but Snell is older with a few more perceived chinks in his armor. Snell led the MLB in walks last season (99) and, despite his Cy Young award, Snell hasn't made an All-Star team in five years.

Snell, a towering southpaw with high-90s heat and deadly off-speed pitches, would slot comfortably behind Gerrit Cole in the Yankees' rotation. New York would become the first team in 34 years to possess both reigning Cy Young winners.

Yankees view Blake Snell as 'more likely fit' than Jordan Montgomery

On the surface, Snell is objectively better than Montgomery. He finished last season 14-9 in 32 starts, posting a 2.25 ERA and 1.189 WHIP. He registered 234 strikeouts in 180.0 innings pitched, with a whiff percentage (37.3) in the MLB's 98th percentile. Despite control issues, Snell encourages a ton of misses and soft contact. When he's at his peak, few are better.

The argument for Montgomery is threefold. First, he probably costs less. Second, he could be viewed as more consistent year-to-year. Montgomery's 2023 stats simply don't stack up — 10-11 in 32 starts with a 3.20 ERA and 1.193 WHIP — but Montgomery hasn't posted a sub-4.00 ERA since he became a full-time starter in 2021. Snell's ERA ballooned to 4.20 that very season. Third, there's the postseason factor. Montgomery went ballistic during Texas' World Series run. That should matter to teams with postseason aspirations, such as New York.

Despite Montgomery profiling as a more than serviceable second starter for New York, Snell is probably the right choice depending on the financial implications. Both Snell and Montgomery are represented by Scott Boras, who also represents the recently acquired Soto. Boras' philosophy centers on obtaining top dollar for his clients. The Yankees can't get cheap. Generally, the Yankees don't get cheap when they really want a player.

New York would certainly intimidate opposing offenses with the Cole-Snell combo atop the rotation. If Carlos Rodon can return to pre-2023 form, then New York would be truly cooking with gas.