With Snell reportedly off the market, where will Montgomery end up?
LATEST FREE AGENT & TRADE RUMORS
We're keeping track of all the latest free agent and trade rumors.
March 18: With Snell reportedly signing with the Giants, where does Montgomery sign?
Blake Snell -- the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner -- has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants. With one of the top free-agent starters off the market just 10 days before Opening Day, the attention will now turn to left-hander Jordan Montgomery.
Rumors surrounding Montgomery have been surprisingly quiet in recent weeks. Perhaps the Snell signing -- as well as Opening Day being right around the corner -- will change that. The 31-year-old Montgomery is fresh off a superb 2023 season in which the lefty had a 3.15 ERA in 219 2/3 combined regular season and postseason innings with the Rangers and Cardinals.
Luckily for Montgomery, there are still plenty of teams that could use a starter. The Red Sox remain an obvious fit, especially after Lucas Giolito's season-ending elbow surgery. The team met with Montgomery last month and has been linked to the left-hander for most of the offseason.
The Angels, too, are a fit and have been linked to both Snell and Montgomery for the last few months. Last month, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported that Montgomery had drawn interest from the Angels and that they "appeared primed to ultimately land either him or Snell when all is said and done."
The Giants were a potential landing spot but that's likely not the case now after the Snell signing.
March 13: With Cease trade done, where do other suitors turn?
A surprising suitor has won the sweepstakes for the highest-profile starting pitcher on the market. The Padres completed a deal for White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease on Wednesday night, with Chicago receiving a four-player package headlined by MLB Pipeline No. 85 prospect Drew Thorpe.
Cease, who had been the subject of trade rumors at the 2023 Trade Deadline and throughout the offseason, will replace National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell at the top of the Padres’ rotation.
After reports of the deal first broke Wednesday evening, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported that the Giants and Rangers were the other finalists to acquire Cease, who finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2022 and is under contract for two seasons. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (subscription required) had both connected the Rangers to Cease earlier in the week.
Texas’ rotation is currently without Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle due to injury, while left-hander Jordan Montgomery remains a free agent. The Rangers have been one of the teams connected to Montgomery, and now that Cease is off the market, bringing the 31-year-old back to Arlington could be a greater possibility. Montgomery has also drawn interest from the Red Sox, according to reports.
March 12: Mutual interest between Mets, J.D. Martinez (report)
The Mets have been linked to designated hitter J.D. Martinez throughout the offseason, and according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the two sides are still talking and have mutual interest in one another.
Heyman writes in the New York Post that Mets owner Steve Cohen "has apparently given the go-ahead to seriously discuss Martinez." More >
March 9: Marlins have had talks with J.D. Martinez (report)
The Marlins have been in talks recently with designated hitter J.D. Martinez, per the Miami Herald's Craig Mish. Adding Martinez would make sense for Miami, which lost free-agent slugger Jorge Soler to the Giants last month.
However, Mish said that the 36-year-old Martinez is "not a fit, at least for now" because the Marlins would prefer to use multiple players at DH, including Josh Bell and Jake Burger. Avisaíl García could also see more reps at that spot this year.
Martinez is coming off his most productive season since 2019 as he bashed 33 homers and recorded an .893 OPS in 113 games for the Dodgers. He is seeking a two-year contract, a source told Mish.
March 4: Interest in Snell, Montgomery picking up?
The regular season begins for all clubs in just a few weeks, and Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still on the open market. A handful of teams have been linked to the left-handers recently; MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi said Monday that the Yankees are a possibility for Snell. Morosi also said that the Angels are a possible landing spot for each starter.
The Giants have been mentioned as well, and it sounds like the number of clubs interested in Snell and Montgomery is increasing. Scott Boras, the agent for both players, said Monday that four new teams have contacted him regarding the pitchers since the start of Spring Training.
The identity of those teams is unknown, but given the injuries that come during Spring Training, it makes sense that clubs that may not have had Snell or Montgomery on their radar during the winter are now considering a rotation upgrade.
March 1: Giants 'need help' in rotation -- is Snell or Montgomery a must?
Just weeks into Spring Training, the Giants have already dealt with injuries to two members of their projected starting rotation. No. 4 starter Keaton Winn was shut down with mild right elbow soreness, while No. 5 starter Tristan Beck will be unavailable for at least the start of the season after being diagnosed with an aneurysm in his upper arm.
San Francisco is down two-fifths of a rotation that includes National League Cy Young Award runner-up Logan Webb, rookie Kyle Harrison and free-agent signing Jordan Hicks, who will stretch out to become a starter during Spring Training. Starters Robbie Ray (Tommy John surgery) and Alex Cobb (hip surgery) could return midway through the season.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Giants should be pursuing Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and other free-agent starters, including right-hander Michael Lorenzen.
“They need help,” Rosenthal said Thursday on “Foul Territory.” “There’s no question about that.”
Even after their reported three-year deal with third baseman Matt Chapman, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports that the Giants are "still very much in" on Snell.
Rosenthal reported for The Athletic (subscription required) that teams might be hesitant to sign Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, to a contract with an opt-out after the first year -- something included in the Cubs’ agreement with outfielder Cody Bellinger and the Giants' deal with Chapman.
Since Snell received and rejected a qualifying offer from the Padres, any team but San Diego that signs the left-hander must forfeit at least one draft pick. That could be too steep a potential cost for a club if Snell opts out after just one season.