Deal Verified: The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers Have Worked Out A Magnificent Trade Agreement, In Which The Houston Astros Will Pay $196 million over five years to acquire the services of Texas Rangers Premier Top Class 5-Time All-Pro Pitcher, However…..

How can that be?

Everyone needs starting pitching. Jordan Montgomery is a veteran starting pitcher who is Good. He was one of the more sought after players at the trade deadline in 2023, ultimately landing the St. Louis Cardinals well regarded prospects Thomas Saggese and TK Roby, as well as optionable reliever John King, in a package with reliever Chris Stratton.

Montgomery was one of the Rangers top two starting pitchers in the playoffs — arguably, one of the Rangers ONLY two starting pitchers in the playoffs — and was very solid, putting up a 2.90 ERA in 31 innings over five starts and one very big relief appearance (ALCS Game 7). In eight career postseason appearances, Montgomery has a 2.63 ERA over 37.2 innings. He is someone who has performed on the biggest stage.

Yes, Montgomery had Tommy John surgery back in 2018, which cost him most of the 2018 and 2019 seasons. But he has started 104 regular season games since the start of the 2020 season — ninth most in MLB — and his 568.1 innings pitched in that span are 19th. Since his return from injury, he has been reliable, consistent, and durable.

So why is Jordan Montgomery still unsigned?

There’s been a certain amount of mockery of Montgomery’s agent Scott Boras over the situation, and in particular, in regards to the “Boras Four” free agents — Montgomery, Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman — who were unsigned when camps opened up. Bellinger has since signed, on a short term deal for much less than was predicted, but the other three are still out there, and there’s been much talk of Boras “overplaying his hand” with these players, asking for too much with the result being that they end up taking much less than they would have gotten with a different agent.