The Yankees are “back in contact” with Jordan Montgomery’s camp at the Boras Corporation, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman adds that there’s still a gap between the southpaw’s asking price and the team’s comfort level.
Montgomery is the highest-profile player available in free agency. He’s not the last notable Boras Corp. client who remains unsigned — J.D. Martinez has also lingered on the market — but he is the final member of the top group that included Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman and Blake Snell. All of those players eventually moved to short-term guarantees (three years for the position players, two for Snell) that allow them to opt out next offseason.
The 31-year-old Montgomery has reportedly been less amenable to that kind of arrangement. Heyman wrote that Montgomery was looking for a seven-year pact as recently as March 8. Early in the winter, his camp had tried to beat the $172MM guarantee which Aaron Nola landed to return to Philadelphia. Neither mark seems especially plausible just a week before Opening Day.
Part of Montgomery’s aversion to a short-term pact could be the qualifying offer. Since he was traded from the Cardinals to the Rangers midway through the 2023 season, he was ineligible to receive the QO. He hit this year’s market unencumbered by draft compensation. Each of Snell, Bellinger and Chapman declined a QO. They’re all ineligible to receive the offer again, as the collective bargaining agreement prevents a player from being tagged more than once in his career.
Montgomery could still receive the QO in a future winter, which could make the possibility of retesting free agency in a year comparatively less appealing. As MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald explored this afternoon, one option would be to wait until after the start of the regular season to sign. Only players who are on the same team for the entire preceding season can receive a qualifying offer.
It’s not clear how much that’s a calculus in Montgomery’s decision. Perhaps he was simply the most patient of the group in hoping that a long-term pact would present itself. That was clearly what he envisioned when he hit the open market after helping Texas to the first World Series in franchise history. Montgomery is coming off a personal-low 3.20 ERA in the regular season. He has reached 30 starts while allowing fewer than four earned runs per nine in each of the last three years.
For many players, the market simply hasn’t materialized the way they’d anticipated. The Rangers have cited concern about their local broadcasting contract as a reason for a relatively quiet offseason. Texas took a reduced rights fee to keep their contract with Diamond Sports Group for another season. While their deal had previously paid a reported $111MM annually, Heyman reported yesterday that they’ll receive $90MM for this year. There’s still broad skepticism about Diamond’s viability beyond the upcoming season.
The Yankees have no such concern about their television contract, as they’re very well positioned as co-owners of the YES Network. Their major spending deterrent is the luxury tax. New York is beyond the $297MM figure that marks the fourth tier of penalization. They’ve paid the CBT for two consecutive seasons, subjecting them to the highest penalties. The Yankees would owe a 110% tax on the average annual value of any additional signing.
That has evidently kept them from addressing a rotation that looks tenuous. Gerrit Cole will be out into May or June after experiencing elbow inflammation. New York parted with Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe in the Juan Soto trade. Their only significant rotation acquisition this offseason has been a two-year deal for Marcus Stroman.
New York announced that Nestor Cortes will take the ball on Opening Day. He’ll be followed in the rotation by Carlos Rodón, Stroman and Clarke Schmidt. The fifth spot could fall to swingman Luke Weaver or a young pitcher like Clayton Beeter, Luis Gil or Will Warren. That’s already a risky group and there’s not much proven depth if anyone else from the top four suffers an injury.
Montgomery probably wouldn’t step into the Opening Day rotation given his lack of competitive Spring Training work, but he has been incredibly durable since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2018. There’s a clear on-paper fit for a return to the Bronx. While Montgomery had some parting shots for the front office after being traded to St. Louis at the ’22 deadline, Stroman had also publicly criticized the Yankees before signing his deal. Montgomery has been loosely linked to the Red Sox and Mets in recent weeks, yet neither franchise seems keen on making a significant investment at this point of the offseason.
marrtho
Was only a matter of time
LordD99
…and a story tomorrow will say they have no interest. This is simply Boras trying to create a market, or perhaps spur another more serious team to up their bid.
Yankee Clipper
Yep,
“Reports John Heyman” is all we need to know.
DR2020
Haha. I was going to say sarcastically, you can take it to the bank.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
You think teams actually get tricked by that though?? “Oh look, Heyman is saying the Yanks are interested, so we have to sign Montgomery right this second!” I don’t think it works that way.
dasit
why not give it a try? all it takes is one dummy GM to hear that and up their offer
DR2020
For the Yankees to be interested, Monty would have to take a huge deferral type contract, like the one Otani got. $1 million a year for the length of the contract, and the rest afterward.
A NYer
Yankees do not need deferrals. They need a longer contract that lowers AAV, which is what the luxury tax is based upon. So I can imagine a couple of very low salary player options added to the contract at the back end. This lowers the AAV, but is so low that it would be unlikely JM would pick them up.
JackStrawb
It was a bad year to play the waiting game. Too many mid- and big-market teams close to the LT or already over it, and that squeeze got worse pretty much every week.
bcjd
I don’t think player options count toward the AAV for luxury tax purposes. It’s calculated based on guaranteed years. Option years might not happen, so they’re not calculated until the option is picked up.
At least, that’s my understanding. I could be wrong.
Bochys Retirement Fund
They know Monty. If the Yankees really wanted him, they would have landed him.
Seamaholic
This is a leak intended to push some other team, unless Montgomery takes some ridiculous discount. Even the Yankees aren’t gonna pay $60m for him in 2024. That’s $2m a start, half their gross gate.
178iq
Please sign me cash?
, please please. Please. I wana play. Please 2 years 17million guaranteed.
User 4245925809
Leaves to wonder about how much the NYY make off the YES agreement. Don’t they own just 50% of that network, or is it 90%? Get confused about the NYY/YES ownership percentage and Boston/NESN. Seems like 1 is 50, other team 90%.
Whichever is which, has to be more $$ Than broke Ballye and Texas 90m take.
Roll
dont forget they and the cowboys also own a good portion of the concession company that serves the food at the stadium there. Legacy or Sterling or something like that
178iq
Amazing black rock and diamond sports and red bird capital own YES. The NYY own some stake. I don’t know how much but I doubt it’s anywhere close to 1/2. Would be an interesting fact to learn.
asdfgh
It’s at least half doofus or do you like typing stupid crap out without READING
Tippin 44s
@ asdfgh How stupid do you feel? You should feel extremely stupid bro attacking someone’s comment & calling them stupid & doofus & they were CORRECT. How hard is a simple Google search before you attack someone man? The Yankees own 26% barely a quarter bro not close to half.
Perksy
They also making $25m a year wearing the Starr insurance patch.
swagsuperawesomeepiccoolman123
I’d rather give him a short term deal. save money for the 2025 FA pitching class which is a lot better than this years. Yankees got some promising guys that can fill the rotation even if they can’t sign Montgomery
asdfgh
Monty won’t take he’s holding out for a long term pact I don’t think he’s budging
Mrivers
Holding out to pitch overseas?
Or in 2025?
Don’t think he’s getting a long term contract at this point.
Nope.
Simm
Sure just like they were in on snell a week ago.
pt24601
This is Boras (through Heyman) trying to get Boston to cave.
178iq
Most aren’t aware that Boras pays reporters to write stories just to push teams into signing his clients for more money under pressure other teams are interested. NYY will NEVER sign Monty. He absolutely stunk in pinstripes so bad they dumped him… why would they want him back for huge money? This is Hyman at his worst. I wonder how do guys like him even have jobs…
Roll
you realized who took his spot in the rotation?
A guy they just traded for by the name of Montas. Not sure if you heard of him or not. He was one heck of a pitcher for the yankees. I mean they should have traded Cole away and have him be the team ace.
If Montgomery only maintained what he did with the yankees up to that point before going to the cardinals he would have been your number 3 or 4 pitcher at worst. As he was performing better than Tallion and Severino got hurt if i remember right. Cortez and Cole were obviously your top 2..
Personally i would have kept Montgomery and prospects to trade later than replace him with Montas.
Captainmike1
The montas trade was a massive disaster
I predict JP Sears will be an excellent pitcher this year and would have been a starter for the yanks if they had any brains to keep him and forget Montas
Mrivers
Nice post here.
Yes, the Montas trade was really bad as it turns out.
Sears is better than Schmidt, at least.
Montas was/is vastly overrated. Always will be, I guess.
deej
JP Sears isn’t very good.
Nosferatu Zodd
Yeah teams got wise and now talk to each other.
JoshHosh
He didn’t stink in pinstripes lol what an ignorant comment.
A 3.94 ERA as a Yankee and a 3.69 ERA at the time of the trade is not even close to “stinks so bad they dumped him” lmao. His stats are right there a click away. He was a solid #3 starter type.
They needed a guy who could play CF and they had just traded for Montas, they were filling a need with what they thought at the time was surplus value in the rotation. Not rocket science.
178iq
Give it a rest. The NYY traded a junk Monty for a decent CF who couldn’t hit. Monty was giving up 4 runs a game at a time when the NYY couldn’t score 5. He was average at best. Not a 3 or 4 starter lmao are you insane? If he was a 3 or 4 starter 1 of 30 teams would have signed him 3 months ago.
that’s a crazy thing to say. The guy had 30 innings in the post season of which many were amazing. The 188 innings he had in the RS were barely average. That your #3 starter? A guy traded from nYY to SL to Texas ?? And Tex’s didn’t even make him a qualifying offer! And you think he’s a #3 starter? Yea maybe for Pittsburgh lol
Nosferatu Zodd
He is definitely a 2/3 on most staffs. A few places he would be a 1. 3.69 era wealth a 1.1 whip is damn good. Not great, but 2 runs over 5 innings is decent. Middle of rotation starter.
I can’t believe to get a 4th outfielder you need to trade a middle of the rotation starter.
That is why he is unsigned. He is a 31 year old middle of the rotation starter that believes 3 months of being an ace gets you $175M.
Mrivers
Yeah, Monty is not as valuable as Nola.
No way.
Roll
@178lq …
“Tex’s didn’t even make him a qualifying offer”
This right there tells me you know nothing about Free Agency maybe baseball because they couldnt since he was traded during the season and has been said in damn near every article about him since the trade. .
Also who on that yankee staff was better than him at the time of the trade other than cortez and cole ….. Tallion? German? Schmidt? Montas?
Lets count
1 . Cole 2. Cortez 3. who?
For fun lets look at the current yankees staff
1. Cole (who knows when / if he will be back this season)
2. Rondon ( if he returns to old form but era of almost 7)
3 Cortez ( see above but 5 era)
4. Stroman (had era that was gasp 3.9 why would they sign this garbage)
Right now if they were to sign Montgomery, he could potentially be the ace of the staff until cole comes back. I still think he is 3 with a lot of upside. Looking at last season for the yankees, he would have been the unquestioned number 2 behind Cole using his garbage 3.9 ERA.not even last years numbers or his average.
And to say a guy that gets traded must be garbage …. didnt you all just trade for a guy that went from WSH to SDP to NYY as a big acquisition in that same time frame? Am i putting Montgomery in the same boat as Soto no, but to say just because someone is traded multiple times is bad is just wrong.
deej
Cole will be back in late May. He has no structural damage.
Roll
@deej
From earlier this week
“March 16: Cole will be shut down for the next three to four weeks before re-evaluating his condition, the Yankees ace told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. He added that it is too soon to determine a date for his return (per Hoch). The reigning AL Cy Young winner is nursing some nerve inflammation and edema, which he is planning to treat with “rest and recovery.” He does not anticipate getting any PRP injections.”
so a month just to re-evaluate even if there is no major issues the rehab will take a couple of weeks then ramp up as im sure they will baby him due to their need for him not to go to TJ surgery and no real spring training. i think best case earliest you are looking is June but im thinking more the all star break before he is back.
Tigers3232
@17.8iq in 4 of 6 seasons with Yankees he had a sub 4 ERA. The other 2 seasons were a season he started 1 game and pitched in 2 total games the other was the covid season.
They keep stats on this stuff….
Candlestoked
“Most aren’t aware that Boras pays reporters to write stories just to push teams into signing his clients for more money under pressure…”
Most aren’t aware because it’s nonsense, a totally invented lie.
Randy Red Sox
Henry’s wallet is slammed shut
pando8888
Heyman working for Boras! This ain’t happening.
Mike56
This is propaganda put out by Boras and his entourage to try to stir up interest. Monty was never gonna get 7 years Boras told him . Lucky if he would have gotten 5. Now who knows. Probably deal like Snell
YankeesBleacherCreature
Just need the Astros to thaw out of “non- active pursuit” of SPs since yesterday.
Krob
Good One,YankeesBleacherCreature-
You made me LOL
Boras’s favorite Minion just dropped a few hours ago about Monty needed to wait until the season started, then sign…
Good grief
I’m mad at myself for continually looking to see updates, and then ranting at Heyman for being such a boot licker!!
User 3014224641
Boras’s mouthpiece. lol.
Rsox
Brian Cashman: “Jordan it’s Brian, look i need a huge favor; a lot of people in the players union are really pissed at Scott and the union higher-ups right now and you would really be doing us all a solid if you would sign with us so it doesn’t look like Scott and the Union are colluding against the players. Thanks…”
User 4095290658
ESPN had an Ohtani gambling headline that said he paid his translator’s debts to a dodgy bookie that turned in to the translator being a thief……. and now it’s gone… lol.
Nobody cares about Monty but we would all like to know why the Ohtani deal was deferred to never, never land!
pando8888
Next Heyman post, Montgomery signs with the Angels or Texas!
RichP
Cashman might as well sign Monty who can’t be any worse than the Stroman signing. How does Cashman keep his job?
DR2020
I’m sure Cashman is amazed about it himself. I imagine too much climbing down buildings has scrambled his brains.
Big whiffa
So you held out four weeks for what. Another 30 mil life time guarantee?? How dare you !
SupremeZeus
(Homer whispering) This is going great!
10centBeerNight
Steinbrenner-in-name-only: it’s your move
CravenMoorehead
I bet Montgomery wants a sorry from Cashman in the form of a Rodon like contract
Champ world champion Texas Rangers
It will be a short term deal.
من المية للمية
Heyman/NY Post get access to teams/players/agents other reporters don’t in order to drive site traffic with curated bs news. News aggregate sites need clicks and constant new articles so they act like Heyman/NY Post is a legit source for real news. That makes many people perceive him as reliable. Ouroboros, the cycle of life
Salzilla
This getting tedious. Wake me up when Cashman actually does something helpful.
DR2020
You’ll be sleeping as long as Rip Vanwinkle then!
swanhenge
Just more fugazi reporting by Heyman, but…
I picture poor Mrs Montgomery completing her residency at Mass General and getting an absolute LOAD of crap when the Yanks and her husband come to Fenway.
brucenewton
I would put the likelihood the Yankees sign Montgomery at zero.
CravenMoorehead
Even Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter wouldn’t bet on it!
DR2020
That’s a good one. Well played.
Mr. E Team
7 year deals for pitchers seldom work out. Hopefully, Gerrit Cole will heal up and be the exception. But Strausburg’s deal was supposed to be “team friendly “ when he signed..
User 4204968895
Perfect end to the offseason for Red Sox fans. It would be perfect.
User 401527550
How hard is it to get a contract done between October and February? I have zero sympathy for players still unsigned.
unpaidobserver
Question mark?
Johnny utah
Im surprised JD martinez hasnt been able to atleast get a 1 yr deal. Had a great comeback season in ‘23
Oh nvm he’s another boras client lol
Tacoshells
Pretty crazy about Hotani huh
CravenMoorehead
YOU BET
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Mets
You can’t really say unless you know what he was offered.
Monty is worth four years and $100 million. If he turned it down hoping to get seven years and $175 million then his mistake. But we don’t know what if anything he has turned down. The Angels still clearly have room to offer four years at $100 million.
bloomquist4hof
4/100 sounds right. He’d be signed by now if he had been willing to take that. The chance of a 37 year old Monty even being a major league pitcher is low.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
I also like the idea of the Angels or Red Sox offering Monty one year at $30-35 million with the right to trade him mid-season for prospects.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
This Ohtani interpreter scandal is going to be HUGE
CravenMoorehead
Bet on it
LFGMets (Metsin7) #ConsistentlyBannedBaseballExpert
Makes no sense. Snell is 3x as good as Monty. Both will be paid around the same in total money. I think age has finally caught up to Cashman. Hes not the same as he used to be, thats for sure. Hes gone from being the best GM in baseball to being mediocre
28rings
It’s all smoke put out by Boras through Heyman to try to drive the price up… if it IS true though, at least Monty won’t cost 2 draft picks and international bonus pool money
User 401527550
Snell isn’t better than Monty at all. Snell is incredibly inconsistent and can’t go deep in games. The Padres pulled Snell like the 3rd inning of playoff games because they had zero faith in him.
mad1
Hold out Montgomery. Show the world how rough it is to be a pro athlete!! Over worked and under paid for sure.
CravenMoorehead
Japanese interpreters working for MLB players don’t get enough respect either
YanksPhan42
It was brainless to trade him, more brainless to say he wasn’t good enough to make the post season rotation and most brainless that they haven’t brought him back yet. Do it now!
DR2020
Those are all true statements
User 401527550
Except for the part where their getting taxed at a hundred percent of the contract now.
Dubbs
I hope he never signs. Ever.
westcasey
4yr/100M. mutual options for 5th, 6th . If he is going good he makes more.
Won’t fly because it’s not one-sided enough. Union/Boras alliance will not accept because they always look to outdo .
‘Find a bad precedent, make it worse’
Portland Micro-Brewers
If the Dodgers knew Ohtani was going to be investigated for gambling, they wouldn’t have given him $700 million would they?
This is an old investigation and they cost themselves a lot by not digging this up a few months sooner
tuck 2
No doubt Boras trying to get others to react. Yankees are not paying these numbers PLUS the 110% tax.
Mike56
Yea the Ohtani thing really sounds curious. On last few weeks out of nowhere he marries and now his interpreter steals money from him. Kinda like MLB ,Dodgers or his team are covering up his gambling problem. Trying to keep his image clean. Hope I’m wrong because he is a super talent and someone mlb needs
brucenewton
Can’t see it happening. Volatile rotation could use a durable guy but I don’t think the Yankees do it.
TrillionaireTeamOperator
There is just no way in any context that the Yankees sign anybody at this point, let alone someone who will command an absolute minimum of like $20M- and that’d be a steep team friendly discount.
Montgomery is seeking and deserves a minimum of $25M AAV and possibly over $30M AAV, but the Yankees would have to pay $1.10 on every $1 they pay any extra salary they have and they don’t want to spend that on anybody and anybody they’d consider doing that for, will command $25M plus a year, which would be $52.5M a year for the Yankees, to say nothing of guys who could or should command $30M+ per year. They can’t and they won’t do that,
Perksy
Well they do get $25m a year for wearing the Starr patch. And couldn’t that $52m be spread over guys like Judge, Soto, etc. Stanton, Rodon, DJ, etc. instead of saying it’s over one guy that puts them over the top. I don’t think they are hurting financially.
Wire to wire 2024
Let’s go redlegs
28rings
I don’t believe anything Jon Heyman says
Mrski
Just bidding up for Boston. Montgomery will throw batting practice at Fenway
pinterman
Not holding my breath.
chuck123
Cashman should apologize and just close the deal.
walls17
wish we could all just ignore all tweets and articles from Heyman in perpetuity
C4Luke
man i hope not, we traded for him to get him out of there and now he might be going back
Viveleempireevil
This is the kind of feckless nonsense penned by “Mr. Giants”, Jon Heyman:
“While a few players stayed away from San Francisco due to the reputation of the city — their attempts to sign big names in recent years are documented — Snell should be happier there. (Personally, I think these players are nutty for not loving San Francisco, which is great, and getting better. “San Francisco is just like any other city, except it’s beautiful,” Giants left fielder Mike Yastrzemski eloquently put it.) He put it “eloquently”? This guy must have pictures of somebody. LOL.
Salvi
The QO shouldnt be a problem at all. Not sure why it would be. Yankees didnt have to give up a draft pick, so they shouldnt be expecting one back on a one or two year contract.
So just write the QO out of the contract. Something like this: Player option of $30M/1yr (or whatever his going rate is). Then, if player option is accepted, a Team option of $60M/1yr is triggered, on Nov 3rd. A team cant offer a QO after declining an option. Problem solved.
RickEO
Redsox aren’t over paying anyone thank god
Wellpact
Hope Monty gives Trashman the finger and elects to stay unsigned. Embarrassment, although I think that uncle Bri Bri has no shame, is all the Bankees deserve. George broke my heart not using a condom with this lying, non-passionate, money grabbing owner!
emt126
Year 1 and 2 $10 million per. Year 3-6 $35 million per
Begamin
time for the yanks to get outbid by $1.37 and then cashman complains about the yankee tax
Tippin 44s
This was the pitcher I was hoping the Astros would sign. As I just seen him step up under the brightest lights, and he is fairly durable & consistent at this stage of career. I wonder if 6 years at 19mil a year would get him signed? That’s 114 million total, & keeps Houston under the the 3rd luxury tax tier. While simultaneously bolstering their own depth for another World Series run while depriving Texas, New York, & Boston of him.
JackStrawb
@Tippin 44s 6/114m is just 2/40m more than what someone as mediocre as Taijuan Walker got. Montgomery will be much better off trying to get something like 3/84m with an opt out and hope to do better next offseason.
Montgomery can’t really sign a long, low AAV deal because he’s not a 19m a year pitcher, and he can hope to be useful into his late 30s. 6/114m kills his earning power. Nimmo won’t be on the field by the end of his deal but Monty might. If you want a long deal, make it 10/180m, something like that.
Tippin 44s
I think if someone offered him that he would have taken it since he was trying to beat Nola’s 24mil aav & 7 years & apparently the market thought that was way to high for him. Spotrac has an 18mil aav on him, he is not going to want an opt out he has no qualifying offer on him this year coming off his best year ever, the youngest he will ever be this is the year he is looking to sign for 5+ years he just still looking for 20+ mill per year & teams value him lower obviously. Around Stroman, Walker, Taillon, etc instead of Gausman, Nola, etc
Tippin 44s
Gray just signed for 3 years & what was it 74 million? He is better than Monty coming off a darn near cy young season too, & barely got 24-25 million per year I think Montgomery’s AAV market is 18-21 million range he just needs someone to hit it & then give him the 5+ years he reportedly wants. The Astros offer him 18, 19 a year even 20 or 21 & can stay out of the 3rd lux tax tier
JackStrawb
At this point is Montgomery more than a five-month pitcher for 2024?
Tippin 44s
100% he is at best a 5 month pitcher if he tries to be more I can GURANTEED he gets hurt. Every Pitcher that signs late & rushes spring training gets hurt, Verlander last year, Odorizzi in 2022, I know there are more as I remember mentally noting that always happening after the Odorizzi one, & anytime the Astros would sign a pitcher late in spring I would think “great wonder when he pushes to hard & goes on IL?”
Tippin 44s
If he is smart he doesn’t rush his ramp up AT ALL even if he misses the entire month of April building up in the minors. I really hope the Astros sign either Montgomery or Clevinger those were my 2 favorites along with Ryu the whole time for the Astros to sign a good SP & stay under the 3rd luxury tax tier so there draft pick doesn’t fall 10 spots after losing their 2nd rd pick already signing Hader.
Matthew De Lorge
Monty in beginning of FA – No way I’ll sign with NY after how they treaded me.
Monty now Please anyone sign me. NY treat me however you want, just give me money!
booneisbad
cashman has done nothing other than Stroman to fill the pitching needs of this team. nothing, snell got away and cheap 65 mil for his talent yes cheap . now cole is out possibly for the year. cashman needed to go last year and ok lets say they field a great team all boone does is ruin the players. he cant manage his pitching staff we saw that. and well he can’t manage the other side of the team either . he ruins players period. why is this guy still here? he’s had the team to win it all 2 times already and he blew it. George is spinning in his grave