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Blake Snell has seen Jordan Montgomery’s criticism of Scott Boras, and he views things differently.
Montgomery fired Boras after an offseason in which he says Boras “butchered” his free agency. While the left-handed starting pitcher was interested in signing with the Boston Red Sox, a deal never materialized. He landed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a one-year deal with a vesting option for 2025.
A pitcher like Montgomery, who threw 188.2 innings last season with a 3.20 ERA and 1.193 WHIP, was expecting more.
Snell ended up in a similar boat. Coming off a Cy Young-winning 2023 season with the San Diego Padres, the 31-year-old remained unsigned until well into Spring Training, finally latching on with the Giants in mid-March. Snell signed a two-year, $62 million deal with San Francisco with an opt-out after the 2024 season.
It’s not the route a Cy Young winner usually takes, but Snell told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly on Sunday that he doesn’t blame Boras for his circumstances.
“My experience with Scott has been great,” Snell said. “He told me everything that was happening, all the offers I got. So for him to just get bashed for what I believe is false, that’s not fair at all. I really strongly believe that.”
Blake Snell: Montgomery ‘Signed the Deal He Ultimately Wanted’
It’s rare that one pitcher would call out another by name in a situation like this, but Snell did exactly that. He pointed out that Montgomery has had the roughest season of his career so far (6.44 ERA, -1.6 bWAR).
“I’ve seen how [Montgomery] struggled, but he signed the deal that he ultimately wanted to sign,” he said. “He has the choice. I don’t know what other deals he was offered, but I know everything that was offered to me. It’s just sad that he thinks that way when I see Scott as a very honorable man.”
Snell’s season, on the other hand, has taken a different path. In nine starts since coming off the Injured List on July 9, Snell is 7-2 with a 1.30 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. Opponents are hitting .111 off him in that time.
Assuming Snell continues pitching well (even if his current rate isn’t sustainable), he will be able to opt out and give Boras another chance to show his negotiating chops. If Snell reverts to how he pitched in his first six starts (2-4, 9.51 ERA), he may be better served sticking with his current deal.
The Boras 4 All Signed Late
Snell and Montgomery weren’t the only two Boras clients who signed late. Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger saw the same fate, as the quartet became known together as “The Boras 4.”
Chapman wound up with Snell on the Giants, signing a three-year deal with opt outs after each season and a mutual option for a fourth year. Like Snell, he started slowly before taking off. As RJ Anderson of CBSsports.com points out, he entered May with a .651 OPS and 25 more strikeouts than walks. Since then, he’s hit for a .799 OPS with 49 more strikeouts than walks in three times as many games.
Bellinger ended up re-signing with the Cubs at the end of February, giving him a late start to Spring Training. He’s held his own, however, batting .271 with a .753 OPS in 101 games. That’s down from a resurgent 2023 season in which he hit .307 with an .881 OPS, dispelling any concerns that his star may have faded after a couple down years with the Dodgers.
Like Chapman, Bellinger signed a three-year contract with opt-outs after each season. He’s due to make $27.5 million this year and next under his current deal.
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