Red Sox Rumors: Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery Unlikely to Get Long-Term Contracts

The Boston Red Sox desperately need pitching help heading into the 2024 season, but it appears they won't be offering two of the best pitchers left on the market a long-term contract this winter.

The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported Saturday that "every indication remains that the Sox won't be pursuing long-term deals" for either two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell or reigning World Series champion Jordan Montgomery.

It's been a disappointing offseason for the Red Sox in terms of adding star-level talent, especially after team chairman Tom Werner said in November that the franchise would go "full throttle" in its approach this winter.

Werner's comments seemed to indicate Boston would spend in an effort to build a championship contender, but the franchise has done anything but, failing to be considered a serious threat for the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shōta Imanaga.

The Red Sox signed Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million deal last month, but he's coming off a rough 2023 campaign in which he went 8-15 with a 4.88 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 204 strikeouts in 184.1 innings across 33 starts with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians.

Giolito was particularly horrid in six starts for the Guardians, going 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.

That said, there's not much hope for him to be a leader in Boston's rotation this year.

Snell never truly seemed like a possibility for the Red Sox this winter, but Montgomery has been linked to Boston for several months as the veteran pitcher moved to the city with his wife McKenzie this winter as she began her dermatology residency at an area hospital.

Montgomery would be a solid addition for the Red Sox. He went 10-11 last season with a 3.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 166 strikeouts in 188.2 innings across 32 starts between the St. Louis Cardinals and Rangers.

The 31-year-old was particularly impressive in Texas, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.79 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 67.2 innings across 11 starts.

With the Red Sox unlikely to land either Snell or Montgomery, the team appears set to enter 2024 with a rotation headlined by Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock.

While fans of other big-market teams are ready for their respective clubs to be in World Series contention, Red Sox fans are dreading what could be another disappointing season.