Ex-Cardinals Ace 'Believed To Prefer' Reunion After Dominant Season

St. Louis could use the rotation boost

Scott Neville | Nov 10, 2023

Ex-Cardinals Ace 'Believed To Prefer' Reunion After Dominant Season /

In this story:

The St. Louis Cardinals will be spending the vast majority of their efforts attempting to lure frontline starters to Busch Stadium this offseason.

Fortunately, the organization has a relationship with a few of the premier arms on the market. At least one of the top pitchers available would like to see a reunion happen -- though it won't be a one-team race.

"Jordan Montgomery won’t get $200M, but he may come closer than you think after finishing strong with the champion (Texas) Rangers, highlighted by his domination of the rival (Houston) Astros in the ALCS," The New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday. "Montgomery is believed to prefer a return to Texas to St. Louis or The Bronx, his previous stops."

Montgomery's preference is not one that pops up often, open to going anywhere he's played in his past. Cardinals fans won't complain though, as that could make a huge difference in helping persuade the southpaw back to St. Louis.

He's also used New York trading him as a chip on his shoulder, so you'd have to assume the Yankees would be third on his wish list -- though money will do most of the influencing here.

The 30-year-old posted a 3.20 ERA with a 166-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .247 batting average against and 1.19 WHIP in 188 2/3 innings between his time with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers last season.

Montgomery would certainly be a strong addition to the Cardinals' rotation but it won't be enough -- it would essentially be the same team as last season.

It sounds like the rotation will likely be led by Montgomery or Aaron Nola, followed by Sonny Gray or someone in that tier. Ideally, that would be aided by a third acquisition -- via trade or a budget-friendly free agent.

More MLB: Cardinals Reportedly Pursuing Free-Agent Ace 'More Aggressively' Than Anyone

Published Nov 10, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu