Yankees rumors: MLB insider feels AL East hopefuls should push 'toward discomfort' for Jordan Montgomery amid rotation uncertainty

The New York Yankees' search for a starting pitcher seems to be ongoing, with Michael Lorenzen recently joining the Texas Rangers for a $4.5 million contract, which could be maxed out to $7 million with incentives.

As a result, the Yankees missed out on the opportunity to address their rotation concerns. However, Jon Heyman of the New York Post has suggested that the Yankees should intensify their negotiation talks for Jorgan Montgomery.

“There is no public knowledge about what it would take to sign Montgomery, but the Yanks should push a little toward discomfort to see if they can make it happen,” said Heyman in his recent newsletter.

Montgomery declared his free agency last year after winning the World Series with the Texas Rangers and hired super-agent Scott Boras to handle his negotiations in the offseason. Several teams, including the Yankees, contacted him, but no offers have satisfied him yet.

The Yankees and Montgomery’s history goes back to 2017, when he made his debut for the Major League with the team. He played six seasons in New York, pitching in 98 games and throwing for 502.2 innings with a 3.94 ERA.

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The Yankees’ starter options are getting limited

The New York Yankees made headlines when they closed the deal to acquire Juan Soto.

However, they ran out of luck for new deals. After their six-year, $150 million offer was countered by Blake Snell, the management decided to sit with Marcus Stroman and signed him for a two-year deal worth $37 million.

The Yankees tried vigorously to initiate a trade for Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease, who could have solved the team's ace concern. However, they failed, as their respective teams asked for Spencer Jones, whom the Yankees strictly refused to part ways with.

In a recent report, the Yankees were considering Michael Lorenzen as a potential target, but the Rangers convinced the former Philadelphia All-Star to come to Texas for this season.

The Yankees weren't focused on Montgomery, as their primary focus was on Snell. But with his departure to San Francisco, the Yankees are left with very limited options.

Besides Montgomery, a young arm from the Miami Marlins, Jesus Luzardo, showed great promise last year with his 3.58 ERA in 178.2 innings performance and could be the Yankees' next trade target.

Mike Clevinger, a former starter for the Chicago White Sox, is also available as a free agent for them to consider.