The Texas Rangers have had every opportunity to bring back Jordan Montgomery this offseason.

However, the defending World Series champions have not jumped on these opportunities.

After being acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, Montgomery helped guide the Rangers to their first World Series title in franchise history. He went 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in the postseason and even earned the win in Game 7 of the ALCS when he made his lone relief appearance.

The reason why Montgomery hasn’t re-signed with the Rangers will frustrate fans. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, owner Ray Davis has not approved the move.

There was reasoning for the low spending at one point, since the Rangers were in limbo on their linear TV deal for 2024. That’s a big slice of revenue for the team. The Rangers have since signed a one-year deal with Diamond to continue having games broadcast on Bally Sports, so it’s unclear if that’s still a hold-up.

The team has plenty of question marks with their rotation, especially with Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle both out until after the All-Star break. Their best starter is Nathan Eovaldi, but they’ll need a second frontline guy in order to defend their title, and Montgomery would certainly fit that mold.

While not exactly an ace, Montgomery is a competitor and has proven himself capable of pitching in postseason. He and Eovaldi formed a solid 1-2 punch last October during the Rangers championship run.

Competing with the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners for AL West supremacy isn’t going to be an easy task, but if they were to add Montgomery back into the fold, they would have a good chance to shoot for their first AL West title since 2016.