Cardinals Remain Among Favorites To Sign Premier Hurler Despite Sonny Gray Deal
The St. Louis Cardinals' top goal this offseason has been to land starting pitchers after losing three of their top arms last season.
The Cardinals retooled their rotation with the recent signing of Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray but will the latest additions be enough?
Rumors have been swirling around the league that a potential reunion could be in the mix between St. Louis and a former high-end pitcher.
The Cardinals are listed among the favorites to sign left-hander Jordan Montgomery according to the oddsmakers at BetOnline. St. Louis enters with +300 odds (25%) to reunite with the reigning World Series champion, who is set for a sizeable payday.
Montgomery 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 St. Louis and the Texas Rangers last season.
The southpaw went 4-2 with a 2.90 ERA in 31 innings last postseason amid his impressive run that will surely increase his free-agent value.
The 30-year-old hurler reportedly would prefer to return to one of his former teams. This leaves St. Louis in competition with the Rangers and New York Yankees, who likely would be willing to give Montgomery a big payday.
The Athletic's Tim Britton projects Montgomery to receive a contract in the range of five years, $105 million contract this winter.
St. Louis has filled holes in the rotation with the latest signings but there are concerns whether those additions will be enough.
It might just be in the Cardinals' best interest to spend the money on Montgomery and get the extra security of bringing back a reliable starter to the rotation.
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