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Reunion With Rising Star Reportedly 'Incredibly Unlikely' For Cardinals

It sounds like a reunion may not be on the horizon in St. Louis this offseason

What will the St. Louis Cardinals do throughout the rest of the offseason?

St. Louis already has improved the rotation by signing Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson, and also has made some intriguing additions to the bullpen. There's still some more work to do, but the Cardinals are in a better place. 

Many have wondered if the Cardinals would add another starter and even have speculated that a reunion with lefty Jordan Montgomery could be a possibility. Although this is the case, a reunion is "incredibly unlikely," according to The Athletic's Katie Woo.

"A reunion with Jordan Montgomery remains incredibly unlikely, as Montgomery is set for a contract upwards of $100 million and the Cardinals simply won't pay that," Woo said. "That remains true for any other free-agent starting pitcher reaming on the board (like Blake Snell or Shōta Imanaga).

"The projections of this year's rotation indeed have Sonny Gray at No. 1 and Miles Mikolas at No. 2. It's too early to predict what the Cardinals will do at the trade deadline, though I can understand the reasoning behind the question."

St. Louis landed Montgomery in a trade with the New York Yankees in 2022 and dealt him away in 2023 to the Texas Rangers. He took a massive step forward last season and has been one of the most sought-after pitchers this offseason. 

The big lefty had a 2.79 ERA with Texas down the stretch and then was impressive in the club's run to the World Series last season. He's going to get a deal likely over $150 million and it sounds like it won't be from St. Louis.

More MLB: Cardinals Not Closing Door On Addition To Starting Rotation Despite Making Three Moves