Jordan Montgomery has been a Chicago Cubs free agent target and if you believe the following story about how some talks have gone down between teams and Scott Boras, then it's not difficult to see why the left-handed starter still has not signed with spring training underway. This story is outrageous.
The top four remaining free agents are all represented by Boras, obviously including the top starting pitcher left unsigned in Blake Snell and the top position player unsigned Cody Bellinger. Meanwhile, Montgomery and third baseman Matt Chapman are seen as the backup options for teams still interested in making a substantial acquisition.
Well, in a recent story from The Wall Street Journal, it appears as though teams that are contacting Boras to discuss Montgomery are being ignored and instead Boras has shifted talks to focus on Snell.
But he’s been a curious victim of the Boras bottleneck. Team officials who have spoken with Boras about his remaining free agent pitchers say that inquiries about Montgomery have largely been brushed aside by his agent in favor of discussing Snell.
That's crazy, right? I mean, imagine that teams are calling about you and your agent goes, yeah well, forget him, how about this other guy?! But that's the thing about Boras and his clients, these guys know the deal and they picked Boras to represent them for a reason. I'm never going to hate on players getting their money and guess what, Scott Boras, for the most part, gets his guys the most money.
So, no wonder the Boras 4 haven't signed yet. Maybe that anecdote is a bit exaggerated and Boras did deny the claim saying, “I treat each player individually, and the order of signing is not in any way relevant to either player," but it does make sense.
If Snell is at the top of the pitching market, you probably want to set that high number so that when teams negotiate with Montgomery, you as the agent already have a high bar to work off of. And well, if this scenario is occurring with Montgomery and Snell, then it makes you wonder if the same thing is happening with teams calling about Chapman, as Boras may be waiting for Bellinger to sign first.
As we know, the Cubs have been linked to both Bellinger and Chapman, so how are those talks going?
At the end of the day, though, we do have to remember that if a player wanted to get a deal done, then he would instruct Boras to do so. Who knows if those guys are getting a bit itchy here as spring training has started and no real traction has been made with any team across the league. Who blinks first?
It does feel like at least one of these top free agents won't end up getting the big deal they thought they would at the start of free agency because the market has drastically shrunk.
Rangers Out on Jordan Montgomery
The Texas Rangers have long been seen as the favorites to sign Jordan Montgomery, but recent comments from the team's GM point to an unlikely reunion. Chris Young was pretty straightforward when discussing the potential of any further additions for the Rangers.
“I don’t think there are any additions coming at this point,” Young said. “But I’ve said before we will keep an open mind. I know there’s a number of free agents still out there. At this point, the group we have in the clubhouse is primarily the group. If there is an opportunity to add, we’d certainly be open to that.”
“That said, the TV uncertainty is real. We don’t know what it looks like beyond this year. This is a financial responsibility that we have to operate with, and until we have that certainty ... our payroll is at an all-time high. I think that shows ownership’s commitment to winning. And we’re very grateful for the resources provided.”
Meanwhile, The Athletic's Jim Bowden had a Cubs mention in a recent article discussing the top free agents left on the market.
Montgomery’s first choice is believed to be a return to the Rangers, but the club and his agent, Scott Boras, have been far apart in negotiations. Montgomery’s value skyrocketed after he was dealt to Texas at the trade deadline and showed, particularly in the postseason, that he can perform when it matters most. The Red Sox, Cubs, Giants and Yankees have engaged with Montgomery and could be in play if he doesn’t re-sign with the Rangers. The Phillies have also been linked to him.
Last week, ESPN's Jeff Passan said he believes the Cubs will sign one of the top four Boras free agents and he wasn't really pushing the Bellinger reunion narrative. Passan has linked the Cubs to Montgomery since the Winter Meetings in December.
In the past we've seen top free agents sign during the middle of the season, when teams no longer lose a draft pick for a guy that gets a qualifying offer. However, there is no compensation attached to Montgomery, so he will be signing before the season begins.
