Top starting pitcher for the Red Sox is “prioritised” over other free agents: Report
According to a new report from Red Sox beat writer Rob Bradford of WEEI dated February 23, starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery has emerged as the team’s top priority.
Bradford wrote on X, “According to sources, the Red Sox are giving Jordan Montgomery priority over other possible free agent pitching additions, but they’re still waiting for the price to drop.”
The only starting pitcher who is thought to be a better free agent than Montgomery is the current Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. With MLB Opening Day only five weeks away, Montgomery and Snell are among Scott Boras’s clients who are collectively referred to as the “Boras Four,” along with Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman.
Montgomery combined to make 32 starts during the regular season with a 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 166 strikeouts in 188.2 innings pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers last season. The 31-year-old left-hander was instrumental in the Rangers’ postseason success, pitching to a 3-1 record, 2.90 ERA, and 17 strikeouts in six games. This was the team’s first-ever World Series victory.
Montgomery was traded from the Bronx to St. Louis sometime around the 2022 trade deadline after pitching for the New York Yankees, Boston’s AL East rival, for his first five and a half big-league seasons. The Cardinals traded him back to the Rangers during the 2023 trade deadline.
The Red Sox may have an advantage in signing Montgomery because, as MassLive’s Chris Cotillo revealed in November, he was residing in Boston while his wife started a dermatology residency at a local hospital.
What Is The Price Of Signing Jordan Montgomery?
MLB Trade Rumours predicted Montgomery would sign a six-year, $150 million contract at the start of the offseason. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel made a prediction on November 9 that Montgomery would agree to a five-year, $106 million contract, which translates to an average salary of $21.2 million annually.
However, considering that these forecasts were made more than three months ago, it’s probable Montgomery has not encountered the anticipated market and may have to accept a less lucrative deal. While Sean McAdam of MassLive.com, a fellow Red Sox insider, reports that Boston is now “prioritising” Montgomery, Rob Bradford of WEEI reports that the team has not yet agreed to the pitcher’s asking price.
Montgomery’s asking price hasn’t decreased to the point where the Red Sox could add him to their long-term, established budget, even at this late stage of the process, McAdam wrote on February 23. “To be honest, while some in the media suggest that the Red Sox are the most likely destination, that opinion is not held internally at all.”
The Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Angels are thought to be Montgomery’s top options, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman’s report on February 22. Montgomery has also been connected to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Yankees this offseason.
Jordan Montgomery: Where Would He Fit Into Boston’s Rotation?
The 24-year-old Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito, who inked a two-year, $38.5 million contract with the Red Sox in January, are the two starters guaranteed for Boston to start the season. In 28 starts for the Red Sox last season, Bello had a 4.24 ERA. Although Bello stated in January that he wanted to start for Boston on Opening Day, if Montgomery signs with the Red Sox soon, he will probably get the start.
With four pitchers vying for the final No. 4 and No. 5 spots, Nick Pivetta is currently slated to start for the Red Sox as the third starter. The four pitchers vying for those last two spots this spring
4 and 5 positions. According to Sean McAdam of MassLive, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, and Josh Winckowski are the four pitchers vying for those two remaining spots this spring.
