With spring training well underway, World Series champion pitcher Jordan Montgomery shockingly remains unsigned.
He’s not the only big name who remains available on the market, but with how many teams need pitching help, it’s surprising that no club has been able to reach terms with him.
The main reason why this is the case is a whole other story and potentially a concerning sign for Major League Baseball … However, that’s a discussion for another day.
@RedSox John Henry cheap mofo https://t.co/HlklJyCAr8
— Jon Smith (@oldorchard2022) February 21, 2024
Regardless, Montgomery’s days of being unemployed will soon be over.
As for what team will scoop him up, it may very well be the Boston Red Sox…
Alex Cora confirmed that the Red Sox had a recent zoom meeting with free agent pitcher Jordan Montgomery. https://t.co/SJ4UW719Ta
— masslivesports (@masslivesports) February 26, 2024
Very few teams, if any, need to sign Montgomery as bad as Boston does. Not just for what he provides on the mound, but for the overall morale of the organization.
Red Sox owner John Henry has inexplicably become an extremely cheap man, and the once-proud club spends more time pinching pennies than they do thinking of ways to actually win games.
The Red Sox said, "No, Jordan Montgomery cost too much. Let's sign George Fucking Costanza instead." https://t.co/SVWCldprgP
— Gomer (@GomesDaLegend) February 27, 2024
Needless to say, Sox fans are absolutely disgusted with the new mindset of Henry and the overall direction of the organization.
The current players are too – just ask Rafael Devers…
Rafael Devers ripping John Henry and the Red Sox ownership to shreds.
Embarrassing for them.
— Savage (@SavageSports_) February 20, 2024
Signing Montgomery won’t change everything. But it would provide a much-needed shot in the arm for the team and fan base.
Interestingly, Montgomery has a personal tie to Boston. His wife, McKenzie, is currently based in the city for her medical residency.
full throttle
— killerhz (@killerhz) February 27, 2024
Manager Alex Cora confirmed an ESPN report that the Red Sox are indeed interested in signing Montgomery and actually spoke to him through Zoom.
“(ESPN’s Buster Olney) is right,” Cora said. “We zoomed with him. But we’ve been zooming with a lot of people throughout the offseason. I’m not going to get into specifics but yeah, it’s part of the process. It was a while ago, too. I was in South Beach for that one. I was in Miami.”
The Red Sox had a zoom meeting with Jordan Montgomery recently. He’d represent an upgrade for their ‘24 rotation, and if signed to a long-term deal, could be part of the staff rotation. They certainly have the payroll flexibility to make it happen.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 26, 2024
Cora’s mention of being in Miami indicates that the virtual meeting with Montgomery occurred prior to the start of spring training last week.
As the Red Sox currently stand, Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello are the only confirmed fixtures in the starting rotation.
With a pool of contenders including Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, and Garrett Whitlock vying for rotation spots, there’s remains a clear need for additional pitching depth, both in the short and long term.
Jordan Montgomery is unlikely to accept a pillow contract like the one Cody Bellinger took, and there are multiple teams that would give him a long term deal, according to @JimBowdenGM.
Bowden also says the Red Sox ‘at this point must be considered the front-runner to land him.’ pic.twitter.com/UJnspvKU8T
— Boston Sports Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) February 27, 2024
The 31-year-old Montgomery presents an intriguing option for the Sox. Coming off a season split between the St. Louis Cardinals and the World Series-winning Texas Rangers, Montgomery showcased his value.
He pitched a career-high 188 2/3 innings while posting a solid 3.20 ERA during the regular season.
Most impressive, he raised his performance in the postseason where he pitched to a 2.90 ERA over 31 innings as he helped lead the Rangers to the World Series title.
Jordan Montgomery doesn’t make the Sox a World Series favorite, but man the move just makes so much sense, sliding Houck or Whitlock to the bullpen and if there is an injury to the rotation they slide back in vs having to use Wincowski or an opener every 5th day https://t.co/o3HS93ntEA
— Josh Parker (@JPark3rFL) February 26, 2024
Do you think Boston should sign Montgomery?
What type of contract do you think he’s deserving of?
Do you think the fact that we entered spring training with several stars unsigned is a bad omen for the future of baseball? (Or do you think Scott Boras is the problem?)
We know every owner wants (prefers) to win – but few actually do what’s necessary to win.
Is this all a case of owners just being cheap and wanting to drive down the contract costs in baseball???
Jordan Montgomery 🤝 Red Sox!!
Just. Do. It! https://t.co/f1YzLbUSx7 pic.twitter.com/z350OuEp85— Ryan E. Martin (@remartin_34) February 26, 2024