Mets Reportedly Could Land Ex-Cardinals Breakout Star This Offseason In Free Agency

Could one former member of the Cardinals end up on the Mets this offseason?

One former member of the St. Louis Cardinals could end up having a massive market this offseason in free agency. 

Former Cardinals left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery will be a free agent this offseason and likely will receive a massive contract after arguably the best season of his career. Montgomery compiled a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts split between the Cardinals and Texas Rangers and also has been impressive so far in the postseason. There have been rumblings that the Cardinals could have interest in a reunion after trading Montgomery away, but another team that reportedly could land the lefty is the New York Mets, according to SNY's Danny Abriano.

"As we'll discuss at greater length later on in this piece, the free-agent-starting-pitching market is not great," Abriano said. "There are some extremely talented guys at the top, and it gets very murky after that. But with the Mets needing two and perhaps three starting pitchers, they're going to have to dip into free agency.

"Montgomery is ineligible for a qualifying offer, which should make him appealing to the Mets. But there's a chance he'll be the most sought-after starting pitcher beyond the top tier, which could drive his price up significantly. He profiles perfectly as a No. 3 starter on a contending team, but his contract might end up in a different stratosphere than that of a mid-rotation arm."

This isn't too surprising. Montgomery will have a solid market this offseason and likely won't cost as much as someone like San Diego Padres star Blake Snell. The big lefty could help stabilize a murky Mets rotation if they chose to go that route. Hopefully, the competition won't be too stiff, though, if St. Louis wants to bring the lefty back to the club.

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