Red Sox Could Make ‘Late Push’ For Jordan Montgomery — If Rangers Don’t Strike
Pitchers and catchers have already started reporting to spring training, but top starter Jordan Montgomery still remains unsigned — for now. On January 8, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand predicted the left-hander would be the next of agent Scott Boras’s available clients to sign with a team this offseason, going as far as to project he’d join a team “by next week.”
Montgomery has already stayed on the free agency market longer than expected, so a deal in the coming days wouldn’t be surprising. Still, it’s hard to identify a clear frontrunner to sign the 31-year-old, with both the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox in the mix for his services.
While Feinsand wrote that Montgomery “seems destined for a reunion with the Rangers if the two sides can agree on a number,” insider Jon Morosi was less ready to count the Red Sox out as contenders to sign him.
The Rangers are the favorites to sign [Montgomery], but I wonder if the Red Sox could make a late push by clearing salary with a Kenley Jansen trade,” Morosi wrote.
The Red Sox have been linked to Montgomery all winter, especially since the pitcher recently moved to Boston. Montgomery’s wife, McKenzie Dirr, is completing a residency at a hospital in the city, and this offseason, Montgomery has been working out at Boston College. Despite this potentially giving the Red Sox an inside edge to sign him, nothing has been made official.
Montgomery’s market has been hot all winter, and with a large number of other free agent pitchers now signed to teams, he’s unquestionably one of the top starters still available. In 2023, Montgomery made 32 regular-season starts between the St. Louis Cardinals and Rangers, posting a 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 166 strikeouts. He made six appearances (five starts) in the Rangers’ ultimately successful playoff campaign, recording an ERA of 2.90 and 17 strikeouts.
Montgomery’s Projected Contract Value
Regardless of which team Montgomery ends up signing with, he’s certainly not going to come cheap.
On November 6, 2023, Tim Dierkes, Anthony Franco, and Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors projected Montgomery would be looking at a six-year, $150 million deal this winter, and on November 9, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel predicted the pitcher would land a five-year, $106 million contract. These predictions put Montgomery’s AAV in the range of $21-25 million.
