Spring training is now in full swing across Major League Baseball, but there’s still a notable number of players without contracts in the free-agent pool. Could Jordan Montgomery, a starting pitcher and member of the 2023 World Series-winning team, find himself joining the San Francisco Giants?
According to Eric Smithling of Yardbarker, that’s a possibility worth considering. Smithling recently offered insights into potential destinations for the remaining free agents, suggesting that Montgomery might ultimately land with the Giants. He pointed out that in 2023, the Giants’ starting pitchers ranked 16th in WAR (wins above replacement) with 14.5, while also having the seventh-highest home run rate on fly balls at 13.2%. In contrast, Montgomery posted his lowest career home run rate on fly balls at 9.3%, coinciding with a career-high velocity on his four-seamer at 93.4 mph.
Throughout the offseason, San Francisco has been associated with various pitching options, with much speculation initially surrounding free-agent pitcher Blake Snell after the team missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Recently, ESPN’s Dave Schoenfield also mentioned the Giants as a possible landing spot for Montgomery in an article published on February 13.
Montgomery Would Bring Certainty to Giants’ Rotation
The San Francisco Giants have been active in bolstering their 2024 pitching rotation, but there are lingering uncertainties. Bringing in Montgomery could provide stability to a pitching staff anchored by ace Logan Webb.
According to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, the Giants’ starting rotation for Opening Day consists of Webb, Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Keaton Winn, and Tristan Beck. However, both veteran Alex Cobb and the newly-acquired Robbie Ray will start the season on the injured list.
With Cobb recovering from hip surgery and expected to miss at least the first month, and Ray still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and unlikely to return until midseason, two key pieces of the Giants’ rotation will be absent at the start. Additionally, there’s the transition of Hicks from the bullpen to the starting rotation, having only started eight games in his MLB career, all in 2022 for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Adding Montgomery alongside Webb would offer San Francisco a reliable one-two punch. Montgomery, a left-handed pitcher, has consistently made at least 30 starts in each of the past three seasons. His performance in 2023, split between the Cardinals and the Texas Rangers, was particularly impressive. He logged a career-high 188.2 innings pitched and achieved a career-best 3.20 ERA.
The Rangers have lost their status as the favorites.
Throughout much of the winter, the Texas Rangers were widely seen as the frontrunners to sign Montgomery, with Texas even being considered his preferred destination. However, concerns about their long-term revenue prospects, particularly related to their television deal, have resulted in a relatively quiet offseason in Arlington.
General manager Chris Young made their stance clear regarding Montgomery, or any other top free agent, when he stated on February 14 that he doesn’t anticipate any further additions to the roster at this point, as reported by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Other potential landing spots for Montgomery have been suggested by The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, including the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees. San Francisco, in particular, has already made a significant move by signing slugger Jorge Soler to a three-year, $42 million contract on February 13. This suggests that the Giants might be exploring the possibility of another major acquisition before the offseason concludes.
