Ex-Yankees Fireballer Floated As Free Agent Target For Rival Despite Interest From New York

Could the former Yankees fireballer possibly end up with one of New York's rivals?

It sounds like one of the New York Yankees' rivals could end up targeting a former member of the club.

Former Yankees hurler Frankie Montas now is a free agent after spending parts of the last two seasons in New York. The 30-year-old fireballer only was able to appear in one game last season with New York but there have been rumblings about a possible reunion on the horizon.

If the Yankees don't end up bringing him back in, though, one team that has been floated as a possible option is the Tampa Bay Rays, according to Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer. 

"The Rays cleared $33 million in salaries by trading (Tyler Glasnow) and (Manuel Margot) to the (Los Angeles Dodgers), which isn't a small amount of money by their standards," Rymer said. "Trouble is, their payroll is still slated to increase by $18 million over what they spent in 2023. And what was a strong need for starters is now even stronger, leading to a question of who they might be able to afford.

"Honestly, Frankie Montas isn't much more than a guess. But if he does fall in the Rays' price range, he's worth taking a chance on as a guy who was a reliable bat-misser before shoulder surgery sidelined him for almost all of this season."

Montas missed most of the 2023 season but has some solid upside heading into 2024. The fireballer has a career 3.90 ERA in eight years and could be a very solid depth option. There likely won't be a signing until after Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto decides where he will land, but keep an eye on Montas afterward.