Rangers’ Bruce Bochy Urges Reunion With Ace Starter Before Opening Day
Former-San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell finally agreed to a two-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants on March 19, leaving free agent Jordan Montgomery as the top starter available on the market. At the start of the offseason, few would’ve predicted Montgomery would still be unsigned this close to Opening Day, and if Texas Rangers‘ manager Bruce Bochy has anything to do with it, Montgomery won’t be left on the shelf for much longer.
On March 19, Bochy told the New York Post’s Jon Heyman that “there’s been a lot of discussions” about the Rangers bringing Montgomery back to Texas, though he conceded that “these decisions aren’t made by me.”
“Who wouldn’t like to have a Montgomery? What a great teammate along with a tremendous pitcher,” Bochy told Heyman. “It’s pretty close to the staff we had last year. It is very, very close, and it worked last year. We added a tremendous guy in Montgomery, who helped lead the way.”
Last season, Montgomery made 32 regular-season starts between the St. Louis Cardinals and Rangers, recording a 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 166 strikeouts. He made six appearances (five starts) during the Rangers’ playoff campaign, posting a 2.90 ERA with 17 strikeouts — including seven shutout innings in the Wild Card Series — to help the team win their first World Series title in franchise history.
Admittedly, the Rangers may not need to add another starter. On March 21, the team signed Michael Lorenzen on a one-year, $4.5 million contract with $2.5 million in incentives, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, meaning another addition may not be on the table.
Last season, Montgomery made 32 regular-season starts between the St. Louis Cardinals and Rangers, recording a 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 166 strikeouts. He made six appearances (five starts) during the Rangers’ playoff campaign, posting a 2.90 ERA with 17 strikeouts — including seven shutout innings in the Wild Card Series — to help the team win their first World Series title in franchise history.
Admittedly, the Rangers may not need to add another starter. On March 21, the team signed Michael Lorenzen on a one-year, $4.5 million contract with $2.5 million in incentives, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, meaning another addition may not be on the table.
Still, a reunion with Montgomery could be a game-changer for Texas, and it’s clear Bochy knows it.
