Major League Baseball clubs may find slim pickings for starting pitchers on the open market this winter. The starting-pitching market is competitive enough that some teams may make desperate trades. But first, the top free-agent starters are still on the board.
Among those few sought-after free-agent arms is southpaw and World Series winner Jordan Montgomery. The 30-year-old entered free agency at an opportune time — days after he helped lead the Texas Rangers to their first-ever championship.
Montgomery wasn’t just collecting bench splinters during the Rangers’ playoff run; he was their ace behind Nathan Eovaldi. Montgomery posted a 2.90 ERA across 31 innings and six playoff games (five starts), including tremendous outings against the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros.
Montgomery shined even before the postseason limelight. Only one left-hander, Houston’s Framber Valdez, threw more sinkers or two-seam fastballs this year than Montgomery. And among lefties with at least 500 sinkers or two-seam fastballs thrown, only the Marlins’ Braxton Garrett held righties to a lower batting average (.244) than Montgomery (.245).
