A new report suggests that if the New York Yankees want to sign Jordan Montgomery before Opening Day 2024, they could get serious competition from long-time rivals the Houston Astros.

With the start of the 2024 MLB season nearly here, many of the star players who were shockingly left in free agency this month have finally come off the board. National League Cy Young Blake Snell ended his stint on the open market by signing with the San Francisco Giants, and the New York Mets opened their purse strings finally and added All-Star slugger JD Martinez on Thursday.

However, there is one last impact player left in MLB free agency, Rangers, Cardinals, and Yankees veteran Jordan Montgomery. With the recent news that New York ace Gerrit Cole will miss at least the first two months of the season with a UCL injury, Pinstripes fans have clamored for them to add a big arm to replace him.

This week they came up short for Snell and 2023 All-Star Michael Lorenzen. Montgomery is the last worthwhile player left but according to New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Yankees could have competition for Montgomery’s services from a hated rival.

“The Rangers did well to bring in Michael Lorenzen for $4.5M plus incentives. Might this affect a potential pursuit of Jordan Montgomery? The Astros seem like another candidate for Montgomery,” Heyman wrote on Thursday.

Jordan Montgomery contract projection: 7 years, $165 million

Montgomery helped Texas win a World Series in 2023 and was still seen as a favorite to re-sign him. The Boston Red Sox have reportedly shown interest, but the pitcher allegedly doesn’t want to play there. The Astros were believed to be in on Snell and clearly, they want another arm. Adding a talented pitcher from an in-state rival and blocking him from going to New York makes a lot of sense before Opening Day on March 28.