9 Texas Rangers players who will not be back in 2024

Jordan Montgomery

We've entered into truly wonderful territory — Yankees fans very loudly ripping on their own team for what turned out to be a completely inaccurate assessment from the front office: Jordan Montgomery wouldn't be a good October pitcher. Not only was Montgomery a good October pitcher, he was good for all seasons, finishing with a career-best 2.79 ERA over 67 2/3 innings. In the postseason, where he was a key rotation piece, he had a 2.90 ERA with 17 Ks and pretty sick, run-saving defensive play to kick off the Wild Card series. Going into free agency, he's built more than a good enough case for himself as a pitcher who should make more than $10 million a year.

It feels unlikely that the Rangers won't try to keep Monty at all, rather that he'll choose to leave. After a trade to the St. Louis Cardinals marked a sour departure from New York, then an unceremonious trade to the Rangers, choice hasn't been a huge factor in his career for the past few years. Tim Britton of the Athletic projects that Monty could make $105 million over five years with the right team. Right now, he's holding all of the right cards, and he could have a fantastic free agency if he plays them well.

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