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It took a while, but the vast majority of potentially impactful free agents have signed by this point.
The most recent one was Cody Bellinger, who took a three-year, $80 million deal with multiple opt-outs from the Chicago Cubs.
However, two of MLB’s premier free agents, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, remain unsigned.
It’s quite shocking, because there is a league-wide need for elite pitching and both those guys qualify as such.
An MLB insider finds it “alarming” that they aren’t on a team yet.
“‘I would say that it’s alarming that they’re not signed at this point.’ @Ken_Rosenthal on Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery,” Foul Territory tweeted.
“I would say that it’s alarming that they’re not signed at this point.” @Ken_Rosenthal on Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery
https://t.co/AAOwtIy1pz pic.twitter.com/TDSmgKjHtw
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 8, 2024
Rosenthal said that “Scott Boras (the agent for both hurlers) will tell you that they are training and they are fine,” even throwing bullpens and live batting practice and most of the stuff that pitchers do at this point of the year.
However, they are not performing in game-like situations, as Rosenthal notes, and that’s a huge part of spring training.
Boras can say what he wants to protect whatever little leverage he thinks he has, but teams likely won’t give them the kind of contract they have been chasing for the entire offseason at this point and know that both pitchers will be at least a couple of weeks behind and would need game action.
Both Snell and Montgomery are risking a lot by not signing to this point: not only do they risk an injury, but if they end up getting one-year deals, chances are they won’t be ready in time and that they struggle a bit in the first few weeks of their season.
That could end up affecting their free-agent case next winter if the situation presents itself again.
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