As the interest in Yoshinobu Yamamoto intensifies with bidding reportedly set to begin this week, the Yankees are reportedly prepared to go heavy when it comes to bolstering their pitching staff.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Yanks are very much in on Yamamoto, who they met with for a second time over the weekend, but if the Japanese star signs elsewhere, the Yanks are ready to be aggressive with other pitching options. Per Rosenthal, the Yankees have discussed a potential reunion with Jordan Montgomery, and if that doesn’t pan out, they could pivot to building a “super-charged bullpen” by going after some of the top free agent relievers still left on the market.
Josh Hader is the top bullpen arm left, while the Yankees have been linked to flamethrower Jordan Hicks earlier this offseason.
Montgomery was traded to the Cardinals at the deadline in 2022, and took a step forward with St. Louis and then with Texas, where he pitched to a 2.79 ERA over 11 starts before helping the Rangers to a World Series title. He posted a 3.94 ERA across six seasons in pinstripes.