Yankees Reportedly Showing Interest In Reunion With Rumored Red Sox Target
Will the Boston Red Sox engage in a bidding war this offseason with their arch-rival New York Yankees for one of the top starting pitchers on the market?
Both teams reportedly are in the race for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, alongside the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and possibly the Toronto Blue Jays.
The next battle might be more of a head-to-head matchup, though for both teams to be at peak powers, Yamamoto would have to land elsewhere.
"A rotation without Yamamoto would require at least one more starter, and the Yankees, at least internally, have discussed a reunion with free-agent lefty Jordan Montgomery," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote Sunday.
The Red Sox reportedly have Montgomery ranked above all other stateside free-agent pitchers and are expected to pursue the reigning World Series champion, especially if they fail to land Yamamoto.
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 the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers.
He's the most consistent option among the top starters available and would be a fantastic addition to a Red Sox pitching staff in desperate need of a jolt. Yamamoto is the priority but Montgomery is far from a consolation prize.
If the Red Sox do not land the 25-year-old Japanese ace, they'll have to quickly pivot and add multiple starters, one of which has to be either an ace or ace-adjacent.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had not been able to ease into his new role. As he currently engages in a dogfight with all of the largest markets in Major League Baseball, he'll have to prep for another bidding war on the horizon.
Hopefully, he can get a big win under his belt in the coming weeks.
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