With Spring Training games officially underway, the remaining free agents on the market are looking for their next teams, as clubs like the Philadelphia Phillies search for final pieces to fill out their roster.
Many of the players competing during this time period won’t be included on the Opening Day roster.
The Phillies could make one final move that gives themselves the best possible chance of winning a World Series title.
For them, it feels like Jordan Montgomery would be the likely addition.
The left-hander is coming off being a major contributor for the reigning champion Texas Rangers and has been seen as a fit throughout the offseason.
However, Philadelphia is waiting for his asking price to come down as they’re already into the second level of the luxury tax threshold and any other signing is going to cost millions in tax dollars.
Them waiting gives other teams the opportunity to potentially sign Montgomery and it seems like the Boston Red Sox are now heavily pursuing the 31-year-old.
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora told reporters they met with Montgomery on a Zoom meeting before Spring Training.
Insider Peter Gammons gave a much more detailed report when sharing on social media that one National League executive told him, “we hear the Red Sox and Scott Boras had a good meeting recently and may get some deal eventually done on Jordan Montgomery.”
Whether a deal gets done or not will be seen.
Montgomery’s agent, Scott Boras, is not known to concede on deals and tries to get the most money possible for his clients.
That has not been the case this cycle.
Cody Bellinger just took way less than they were asking for, signing a short-term three-year, $80 million deal instead of the long-term, $200 million or more type of contract they wanted.
Maybe that happens for Montgomery too.
But maybe Boston, who has had a dreadful offseason, finally ponies up some money to land a marquee free agent.
If that’s the case, then the Phillies are probably done looking at the free agent market and will roll into 2024 with what is currently on their roster.
