The Boston Red Sox reportedly opened free agency on Monday by inquiring about one of the top starting pitchers on the market.
According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the club spoke with the agent of left-hander Jordan Montgomery.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Montgomery, 30, is fresh off a World Series championship with the Texas Rangers. He was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2023 MLB trade deadline and proved to be a critical piece of Texas' rotation down the stretch.
In 32 starts between St. Louis and Texas, Montgomery posted a 10-11 record with a 3.20 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. He only stepped up his game for the Rangers in the postseason. The former New York Yankees hurler pitched a seven-inning scoreless gem against the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild-card series. Through six playoff appearances for Texas, he compiled a 2.90 ERA in 31 innings of work.
MORE RED SOX
Montgomery doesn't have the overwhelming stuff of an ace. His velocity tops out in the mid-90s on a good day, and his strikeout numbers don't jump off the page. That said, his impressive command and his consistency as a quality mid-rotation arm make him an intriguing option for Boston. Adding a piece like Montgomery along with a front-end starter like Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Aaron Nola would be the ideal outcome.
New Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow identified starting pitching as the club's No. 1 priority during his introductory press conference. Inquiring about Montgomery is an encouraging start to his tenure as Boston's front-office leader.