Report: Jordan Montgomery still unsigned for 1 big reason

Sep 2, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (48) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Despite a strong 2023 season and an excellent postseason, Jordan Montgomery remains unsigned as spring training gets underway. That is down to one reason, according to a new report.

Montgomery has not yet been willing to drop his asking price, at least not enough to garner widespread interest, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The Boston Red Sox are among the interested teams, but Montgomery is simply not within their budget right now.

Notably, despite being viewed as the favorites to sign Montgomery, the Red Sox are skeptical of their ability to sign the lefty even if his asking price drops. At that point, they believe Montgomery would also become affordable for other teams that would offer a better chance of winning in the short term.

Montgomery has essentially priced himself out of a reunion with his former team, the Texas Rangers, despite his postseason success with them in 2023. If Montgomery has not lowered his demands by now, it is tough to envision him doing it anytime soon.

Montgomery split time between the Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals last season. He went 10-11 overall with a 3.20 ERA, which he followed with a 2.90 ERA in 31 postseason innings.