Jordan Montgomery made the most of his trade to the Texas Rangers last season, posting a 2.83 ERA including the postseason and helping the team win its first World Series.
It was quite a way to enter free agency after a great season and ring, so perhaps the left-hander was hoping for a pretty lucrative multi-year deal during the offseason.
Instead, Montgomery signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks the day after the 2024 season began.
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The Texas Rangers return to the dugout after being relieved in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on October 20, 2023 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Jordan Montgomery #52 (Photographed October 20, 2023). (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Mr. Montgomery then reportedly fired Scott Boras, known as one of the top sports agents in professional baseball. The left-handed pitcher signed with Joel Wolfe and Nick Channock of Wasserman, a talent agency that covers sports, music, entertainment and culture.
Montgomery split the 2023 season between the Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched 31 innings and posted a 3-1 record with a 2.90 ERA during the Rangers’ magical postseason victory. He entered the free agent market expecting a multi-year contract worth at least $20 million each season, but instead settled for a $25 million, one-year deal with the Diamondbacks, whom the Rangers beat in the World Series.
Boras said this is a matter of baseball owners and their will to win.
“There was a dramatic difference between us in terms of the competitiveness of the owners and their willingness to win,” Boras said, according to ESPN.
The offseason ahead of the 2024 season opener was pretty eventful for Boras. Boras’ clients include J.D. Martinez and Blake Snell, who signed one-year and two-year contracts, respectively, in March. Martinez recently earned his fifth straight All-Star selection, and Snell won the National League Cy Young Award last season.
Montgomery and Martinez were forced to remain in extended spring training. Martinez is currently injured, while Snell lasted just three innings in his first start of the season.
Texas Rangers’ No. 52 Jordan Montgomery reacts during the first inning of the Wild Card Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on October 3, 2023 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
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Montgomery’s salary is a respectable $25 million per season, especially since the 31-year-old left-hander was never underwhelming, posting a career 3.77 ERA before joining Texas. In fact, Texas had even fewer strikeouts per nine innings than the Yankees and Cardinals before him.
As for Boras, the good news for the super agent is that his clients this upcoming offseason include Juan Soto and Pete Alonso. Alonso’s free agency may certainly be a question mark, but his potential for 50 home runs is clearly a bonus.
There’s a good chance Soto will be this year’s AL MVP, potentially signing a contract comparable to the $700 million that Shohei Ohtani signed last offseason.
#52 Jordan Montgomery of the Texas Rangers pitches in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 15, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Bob Levy/Getty Images)
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Montgomery is scheduled to make his debut later this month with the Diamondbacks, the team he defeated along with the Rangers in the Fall Classic.
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