Boston’s Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery’s pursuits provide bad news to Red Sox supporters.
Fans are disappointed by the most recent information on the Boston Red Sox’s pursuit of Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.
Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, two of baseball’s top free agents in this class, are left-handed pitchers. Following the team’s three last-place divisional finishes in the previous four seasons, Red Sox brass had hinted at making some major splashes early in the offseason.
Fans expected the team to bid competitively for elite talent, and they expected great things from them. Rather, the Red Sox have earned a reputation as the “interest kings” since they are connected to a number of free agents but never seem to put up the cash to seal a deal.
Both Snell and Montgomery remain unsigned, and both are represented by agent Scott Boras, a notorious eleventh hour operator. Even with their services still available, Red Sox fans can add the pair to Boston’s ever-growing “interest kings” roster.
As of early Saturday morning, “every indication remains that the Sox won’t be pursuing long-term deals” with the southpaws, according to a Boston Globe report by Alex Speier.
Industry officials have told @alexspeier that the Red Sox are the best fit for Jordan Montgomery, but every indication remains that the Sox won’t be pursuing long-term deals for Montgomery or Blake Snell. pic.twitter.com/iLNSV8H24W
— Boston Sports Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) January 27, 2024
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic advanced this story on Sunday morning, “going in-depth on how unlikely Boston is to shell out cash for Montgomery, specifically.” Reports from Speier and Rosenthal are simply validating what any rational Boston fan has already deduced from watching this offseason, so they aren’t exactly ground-breaking discoveries.
President and CEO Sam Kennedy said during the Red Sox Winter Weekend this past weekend that he anticipates the salary of the team will be smaller in 2024 than it was in 2023. The Red Sox payroll for 2023 was roughly $225 million, compared to their projected payroll of $180 million for 2024.
Given that the franchise is still $61 million short of the initial competitive balance tax (CBT) threshold for 2024, Boston’s insistence on spending caps is aggravating. $237 million is the competitive balance tax amount for 2024.
The Red Sox would be required to pay a “luxury tax” on top of their payroll amount if their payroll exceeded that threshold. Max Scherzer will be the highest paid starting pitcher in 2024, taking home little over $43.3 million.
So even if the Red Sox made Snell or Montgomery the highest-paid pitcher in baseball, they could still have $17 million of space prior to surpassing the first CBT threshold. Mathematically, the Red Sox could easily afford one of the two without incurring any non-payroll financial hits. Ownership is cheaping out, make no mistake about it.
While Montgomery’s wife finished her dermatology residency at a nearby hospital, he relocated to the city earlier in the offseason, giving Boston supporters some hope. In addition, Montgomery continued his off-season studies at Boston College, which is located nearby. During the Texas Rangers’ championship run, the South Carolina native significantly improved his free agency prospects by recording a 3-1 record with a 2.90 ERA and 17 strikeouts in six postseason games.
Snell, who won the AL Cy Young with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018, became just the eighth pitcher in MLB history to win the Cy Young Award in both the American League and the National League when he won his second Cy Young Award in 2023. The New York Yankees have reportedly made Snell a single offer in free agency, a $150 million, five-year contract.
