Red Sox Rumors: Boston has surprising preference among free agent pitchers
Could a World Series winning starter be coming to Boston this offseason? The Red Sox are in hopeless, dire, desperate, insert-your-adjective-here need for more starting pitching. Chris Sale is so very breakable; Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Tanner Houck are young and full of potential but still inexperienced. Boston needs a more veteran, proven presence on the mound, and who could be better than a postseason-tested lefty?
Per MLB.com's Red Sox beat reporter, Ian Browne, brand new World Series winner and free agent Jordan Montgomery is one of Boston's top two targets to add to their rotation (the other, unsurprisingly, is Yoshinobu Yamamoto). Brown told Steve Perrault on ITM Podcast, "[The Red Sox] like him more than they like Snell, more than they like Nola."
Our guy @IanMBrowne tells us the Red Sox are targeting Jordan Montgomery over the other free agent starters 👀 pic.twitter.com/2WOquhyCS2
— ITM Podcast (@ITM_pod) November 16, 2023
Montgomery was one of three Texas starters throughout the postseason, pitching 31 innings over five starts (and one relief appearance) for a final 2.90 ERA, with 17 strikeouts. He made a wild play in the very first game of the postseason against the Rays, which hinted at his dominance throughout the rest of October. In the end, he pitched 5 2/3 fewer innings than Texas ace Nathan Eovaldi, but gave up two fewer earned runs and five fewer walks.
It makes sense why the Red Sox might be more interested in Monty than Snell or Nola. For one, he would come cheaper; Spotrac estimates $110 million over six years for Montgomery as opposed to $143 million or $147 million for the others. For two, he would either add a lefty arm to balance out Boston's current rotation or replace their ace's, depending on whatever condition Chris Sale finds himself in for 2024.
It would also be a nice thorn in the side of Yankees fans, whose management sent Montgomery away to Cardinals in exchange for Harrison Bader out of fear that Montgomery wouldn't be a good October pitcher. Among whispers that the Red Sox are also interested in a certain Yankees second baseman, this could be the perfect opportunity for a Bronx reunion at Fenway, one which would net the Red Sox a ring-wearing ace, at that.
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