With Major League Baseball’s spring training well underway, two big-name starting pitchers remain on the free-agent market.
Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and 2023 World Series champion Jordan Montgomery, both represented by super agent Scott Boras, still find themselves on the open market with the start of the season just weeks away.
Boras clients Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman were also unsigned heading into spring training but signed with the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, respectively. There’s been a feeling that Boras and MLB front offices spent the offseason engaged in a game of chicken in regards to getting Boras’ clients signed for the best possible deal.
So, where do things stand with Snell and Montgomery right now?
According to Boras, interest has been picking up for both players of late.
“There is a pitching panic going on in baseball. We’ve got so many starting pitchers that are now compromised. Maybe short term. Some long-term. And the calls for elite starters are starting to increase,” the agent said Monday via ESPN. He declined to name which teams were showing interest in Montgomery and Snell.
Boras’ comments came at the Giants’ introductory press conference for Chapman, who signed a three-year deal with multiple opt-outs with the team. Boras also pointed out that the process for elite free agents is a bit different than people think.
“People think that you get a lot of phone calls and you turn a lot of things down. When you’re dealing with elite players, they have elite values. You don’t get a lot of phone calls. You get really almost nothing for months,” he said.
[ESPN]
