FORT MYERS, Fla. — Rumors started swirling Monday morning that conversations between the Red Sox and free agent beginning pitcher Jordan Montgomery have been heating up, together with one report by ESPN’s Buster Olney that supervisor Alex Cora and Montgomery had just lately held a gathering over Zoom.
Speaking to reporters, Cora confirmed that assembly did certainly happen, saying the 2 spoke about two weeks in the past whereas Cora was in Miami visiting his alma mater.
“Buster is right, we zoomed with him, but we’ve been zooming with a lot of people throughout the offseason. I’m not going to get into specifics but it’s part of the process,” Cora stated. “And it was a while ago too, I was in South Beach for that one. That was in Miami like two weeks ago.”
Since the offseason started Montgomery has been considered an apparent match for the Red Sox. The 31-year-old has made 30 or extra begins in every of the final three seasons and is coming off a powerful season during which he posted a 3.20 ERA over 188.2 innings whereas main the Texas Rangers to their first World Series championship in franchise historical past.
The Red Sox beginning rotation badly wants that sort of consistency and stability, and because the offseason has dragged on membership legends and even present star Rafael Devers have grown more and more outspoken concerning the membership’s failure to herald ample reinforcements.
While Montgomery and the Red Sox could also be an ideal match on paper, a supply informed the Herald {that a} massive think about Montgomery’s dragging free company is he desires to return to the Rangers. Montgomery had a career-defining expertise with the group following his midseason commerce, however Texas is experiencing vital monetary uncertainty associated to the continuing chapter of Diamond Sports Group, it’s native broadcasting accomplice, and has taken a way more cautious method this offseason.
Still, Montgomery and his illustration have stored in contact with different suitors. Cora’s affirmation got here shortly after veteran sportswriter Peter Gammons additionally relayed {that a} National League govt informed him, “we hear the Red Sox and Scott Boras had a good meeting recently and may get some deal eventually done on Jordan Montgomery.”
Though Cora wouldn’t touch upon the specifics of any ongoing negotiations, he stated the membership remains to be in energetic discussions with quite a few free brokers, together with each pitchers and place gamers.
“We’ve been working hard the whole offseason and it’s not a lack of trying, I’m telling you,” Cora stated. “It’s been a lot of meetings, a lot of conversations, obviously Craig has had a lot of conversations with agents, it’s where we’re at right now. We’re still engaged with position players, with pitchers, we’re trying to improve, and if there’s an opportunity to do that we’ll jump on it, but right now it hasn’t worked out or we haven’t found a match.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com