SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Scott Boras claims the free agent market is intensifying for two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and left-hander Jordan Montgomery with opening day 3 1/2 weeks away for most teams.
“I think there’s a pitching panic going on in Major League Baseball right now,” the agent said Monday.
Boras was at the San Francisco Giants’ training facility with third baseman Matt Chapman, a four-time Gold Glove winner who signed a three-year deal that guaranteed $54 million. Chapman and Chicago Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger signed agreements after spring training had started.
Boras says the market for Snell and Montgomery has been changing as teams get into spring training games and realize they don’t have needed mound depth.
“We’ve got so many starting pitchers who are now compromised — maybe short-term, but some long-term,” Boras said. “The calls for elite starters are certainly starting to increase.”
Boras, baseball’s most prominent agent, also has designated hitter J.D. Martinez remaining on the market. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego open the season March 20 and 21 in Seoul, South Korea, with the other 28 teams scheduled to start March 28.
Bellinger and Chapman both signed unusual contracts that give the player opt-outs after the first two seasons and the ability to try free agency again if they think that’s financially advantageous.
Boras said he doesn’t have a preference between short-term or long-term deals, adding every situation is different for players and teams.
Boras said Snell and Montgomery have been working out and would still be ready for opening day if signed soon.
Montgomery won a World Series with Texas last year, going 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in five starts and one relief appearance. Snell is 4-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 10 postseason starts and two relief appearances, including a 2.70 ERA in a pair of 2020 World Series starts for Tampa Bay.
“These men have proven capacities at the biggest moments, at the biggest times, of getting a club to the World Series and getting a championship,” Boras said. “When you have that kind of thing in your resume, and you want to be competitive, you’re not just talking about the season, you’re talking about the ability to achieve the ultimate objective — getting No. 1 performances by No. 1 pitchers in big moments.”
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