Cubs Among Top Landing Spots For Ex-Cardinals Ace According To Insider

Chicago may end up signing the former Cardinals stud

Could the Chicago Cubs end up landing a former member of the St. Louis Cardinals before Opening Day?

It seems like a possibility. Former Cardinals pitcher Jordan Montgomery still is available in free agency despite an impressive 2023 season.

He was steady with St. Louis and then was even more solid after being traded to the Texas Rangers. Montgomery had a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch with Texas and then shined in the postseason while helping lead the club to the World Series.

It's unclear where he will land, but one team that has popped up as one of the possible landing spots is the rival Cubs, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

"Though (Blake Snell) is willing to do short term with opt-outs, the consistent, durable Montgomery is looking long," Heyman said. "The (Boston Red Sox) held a Zoom call, but it feels like ownership is concentrating on golf, soccer, and hockey and expanding its sports empire.

"The Rangers RSN issue was resolved, but ownership incentive probably fell when they won the World Series (Montgomery helped there, ironically enough). The (New York Mets) have discussed it internally. The (New York Yankees) seem to prefer Snell. The (San Francisco Giants) could be in play if they don’t get Snell. Best guess: Rangers. Other guesses: Giants, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, (New York Yankees)."

Whichever team ends up signing Montgomery certainly will be getting an upgrade for their rotation. He has been extremely steady over the last three seasons and also has stayed healthy.

Chicago arguably is the Cardinals' biggest threat in the National League Central division and if it could land Montgomery, it would just make things more difficult for St. Louis.

More MLB: Former MVP Could Be Intriguing Option For Cardinals To Provide More Veteran Leadership