What's standing in the way of a Cardinals-Jordan Montgomery pairing?

Now that Blake Snell is off the board, the last remaining top-level starter in free agency is Jordan Montgomery.

His market has barely moved at all. The Texas Rangers appear to be out of the running for the left-hander, and the Boston Red Sox are too stubborn to increase their payroll.

Because of this, an opportunity could await him with the St. Louis Cardinals. But like the Red Sox and Rangers, the Cardinals don't appear to be terribly interested in signing Montgomery.

So, what is the holdup? What's stopping the Cardinals from reuniting with the star left-hander?

In this piece, we will discuss why the Cardinals need to act on this and what might be causing the holdup.

What is stopping a Cardinals-Jordan Montgomery reunion?

Blake Snell signed with the San Francisco Giants for two years and $62 million with an opt-out after this season. Montgomery at this point will likely receive something similar to this, albeit for a little less money.

Still, he'll likely receive a deal with at least one opt-out clause, and this is something the Cardinals should be able to do.

He won't be as expensive as Snell, and he is familiar with St. Louis, making the Cardinals an ideal fit.

The Cardinals were busy this offseason, addressing their rotation by adding Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson. Gray gives them the ace they so desperately needed, but the Cardinals are still in need of one more top-level starter if they want to compete for a World Series title.

The Cardinals rotation was already facing question marks due to the age of their starters. Steven Matz will be 33 in May and is the youngest of the five. Gray also will miss Opening Day due to a hamstring strain.

In addition, both Matz and Gibson have struggled this spring, which essentially leaves a hole for the Cardinals to fill in their rotation with somebody better.

This is where Montgomery comes in. He's a proven postseason pitcher who went 4-1 last October with the Texas Rangers, posting a 2.90 ERA and even earning the win in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros in relief. The Cardinals need that.

And so, with Snell's deal potentially setting the precedent, the opportunity is there for the Cardinals to sign Montgomery to a similar deal. But what is stopping them from getting it done?

Cardinals ownership group won't spend on Jordan Montgomery

More than likely, it's the team's ownership group, which sets the budget each year. Unfortunately, the Cardinals like to be a little bit conservative with their money and rarely spend on big-ticket free agents. But their unwillingness to adapt to changing times has left them in a tough position.

Without another starter, the Cardinals are more of a borderline division title candidate and not a true World Series contender. Only with top-level pitchers can they compete with teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The time to act is now and the opportunity is there for the taking. We'll see if the Cardinals can get out of their own way and make a signing.