A pitcher who released Scott Boras after he signed late in spring training and then had a rocky start to the regular season sharply criticized the super agent on Friday.
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Jordan Montgomery has spoken openly about his affair with the Boston Red Sox last winter that ultimately came to nothing. Montgomery signed a one-year, $25 million contract on March 29, the eve of the regular season.
More news: Jordan Montgomery reportedly did not want to move to a specific AL East team
Montgomery was the last of the major free agents to sign a contract, and he, like Scott Boras’ other major clients, accepted short-term deals with high AAVs rather than the long-term deals he sought early in his free agent career.
Shortly thereafter, he fired Boras and decided to sign his representation contract with the rival agency Wasserman.
According to sources, LHP Jordan Montgomery has hired Joel Wolfe and Nick Chanock from Wasserman as his agents.
Montgomery was one of the Boras Four who did not sign a contract until shortly before the end of free agency.
I had predicted he would get 5 years and $106 million, and on March 26th he finally signed with Arizona for 1 year and $25 million.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) 11 April 2024
In April New York Post Montgomery reportedly did not want to sign with Boston, believing his chances of making the playoffs in Arizona were better since the Diamondbacks reached the World Series for the second time in franchise history last fall.
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That is not true, Montgomery told the Boston-Herald.
“My wife and I have really enjoyed it here,” the pitcher said Friday. “She was at Beth Israel for a year, loves the area, loves the fans,” Montgomery said. “It would have been great if it had worked out that way, but it didn’t.”
Reading between the lines, one wonders if someone from Boras’ camp misinterpreted Montgomery’s preferences regarding free agency, which led to the false report in the Post.
“I had a Zoom call with (the Red Sox), that’s really all I know. It went well,” Montgomery told the Herald. “I don’t know, obviously Boras messed it up somehow, so I’m just trying to put the offseason behind me and forget about it.”
Montgomery allowed six runs in 5.2 innings in the Diamondbacks’ 10-8 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, bringing his ERA for the season to 6.44 after 19 starts.
Montgomery appears to be healthy – but his pitching is nowhere near the level he showed in 16 starts with the Texas Rangers last season, including five in the postseason that culminated in the first division title in Rangers/Senators franchise history.
On Friday, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced that Montgomery would move to the bullpen.
Arizona is four games behind the first-place Dodgers in the National League West and half a game ahead of the San Diego Padres in the race for the top wild card spot in the NL.
