Jordan Montgomery Free Agency Update: Mets 'really like' World Series champ as battle for Yoshinobu Yamamoto intensifies

Jordan Montgomery more than proved his worth in 2023. In addition to playing some of the best regular season baseball of his career, the left-handed starter won his first career World Series with the Texas Rangers.

After coming to the Rangers from the Cardinals at the August trade deadline, Montgomery did not look back. The 30-year old went 4-2, pitching to a 2.79 ERA in his final eleven starts of the season with Texas.

Despite the World Series victory in Texas, Montgomery opted for free agency after the season, leaving him to test the open market. Now, an MLB analyst has new revelations regarding the pitcher's possible ultimate destination.

"Sources: Mets have identified Jordan Montgomery as a pitcher they really like. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is someone they are also very interested in, but far more teams are interested in him which could make it more difficult to acquire him. Both pitchers on Mets wishlist." - Michael Marino

Per reports from MLB analyst Michael Marino, the New York Mets are taking a strong interest in Jordan Montgomery. The news comes as the team, baseball's highest-spending last year, has indicated that they are very interested in NPB star Yoshibobu Yamamoto.

Yamamoto is a 25-year old three-time NPB MVP who has been released by his team, the Orix Buffaloes, effectively allowing him to seek an MLB deal within 45 days. The Mets are considered one of the teams with deep enough pockets to make a play for both Montgomery and Yamamoto.

"Jordan Montgomery is a World Series Champion. Couldn’t be happier for you, Monty." - JP Yankees Girl

After their 2023 season that saw the Mets finish 26 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, everyone in Queens knew that big changes needed to be made. After the season, new president of baseball operations David Stearns began to clean house, and is reportedly interested in making some big splashes.

Jordan Montgomery is a player the Mets could build their rotation around

The departure of both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in 2023 leaves the Mets with a relatively blank slate as far as starting pitching is concerned. With Jordan Montgomery, the Mets will be able to acquire a pitcher who appears to be nearing his career zenith.

While no deal is yet set in stone, inking a deal with both Montgomery and Yamamoto is not beyond the realm of possibility. By doing so, the Mets could make serious steps in their quest to regain the trust of the fanbase.