With Blake Snell signing with the San Francisco Giants, left-hander Jordan Montgomery is officially the last man standing. Like Snell, Montgomery has been linked to countless teams throughout the offseason, yet both remained unsigned, that changed yesterday. Montgomery, 31, entered free agency looking for a long-term deal. But he doesn’t just want a long-term deal, he wants a long, long-term deal. According to Jon Heyman, Montgomery was seeking a seven-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. A seven-year contract would keep Montgomery in Boston through his age-37 season which is likely why a deal hasn’t been reached.
Perhaps his best option is to take a contract similar to Snell’s, who signed a two-year deal that includes an opt-out after this season. The opt-outs have become a theme for clients of agent Scott Boras. Now it’s down to Montgomery, another Boras client, who remains without a team and could be looking for a similar deal.
Landing Spots for Jordan Montgomery
Montgomery had a 3.20 ERA with a 166-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.19 WHIP between St. Louis and Texas last season. He shined in the postseason going 4-2 with a 2.90 ERA helping the Rangers win their first World Series. Montgomery may not be an ace, but he would be a strong No. 2 for any rotation.
Opening Day is just two weeks away and there are still plenty of teams who could benefit by having Jordan Montgomery in their rotation. If Montgomery were to switch gears and be willing to sign a short-term deal, these are the teams he could pitch for in 2024.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have been linked to Montgomery all offseason and are still the favorite to sign the veteran left-hander. Boston seems like an obvious fit for Montgomery, especially after losing newly acquired Lucas Giolito to season-ending elbow surgery. The Red Sox reportedly met with Montgomery last month but seem disinclined to sign him to a seven-year deal.
New York Yankees
With Gerrit Cole starting the season on the injured list, the New York Yankees have been in the market for another arm. The Yankees were recently linked to Dylan Cease who was traded to San Diego and extended, then withdrew a six-year offer to Blake Snell. Montgomery spent six years with the Yankees pitching to a 3.94 ERA and a 478-146 strikeout-to-walk ratio. With Snell off the table, now seems like the perfect time to bring Jordan Montgomery back to the Bronx.
Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers rotation is looking rather bleak with both Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle out until after the All-Star break. Not to mention Max Scherzer who isn’t expected to return to the rotation until June after his December back surgery. The Rangers have had every opportunity to bring Montgomery back to Arlington this offseason. They have yet to make a move and while Montgomery would like to return to Texas, his high-price tag and the Rangers’ TV deal may be why owner Ray Davis hasn’t approved of resigning their postseason hero.
Houston Astros
If Montgomery wants to stay in Texas, he could make the drive south to Houston and become an Astro. The Houston Astros have four of their starters opening the season on the injured list including their ace Justin Verlander. They were among the teams who had been recently linked to Snell, but the Astros weren’t willing to pay his high asking price. Houston is looking to get back to the World Series and Montgomery is a solid option for the Astros. Signing Montgomery would shore up their rotation allowing Houston to stay competitive even with so many key players out.
Montgomery’s Options As the Season Approaches
There are plenty of teams, even contending teams, that are still in need of starting pitching. Montgomery is a strong No. 2 with postseason experience and a World Series ring. However, it comes down to his contract. Montgomery opened free agency seeking a long, potentially even a long, long-term contract, but a short-term deal with an opt-out would allow Montgomery to bet on himself and re-enter free agency in 2025.
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