Giants pitcher Blake Snell is pleased with how super agent Scott Boras navigated a difficult offseason, even if other fellow MLB clients are not.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who, like Snell, signed his free-agent contract during spring training, recently spoke about his now-fired agent and claimed Boras "butchered" the negotiating process throughout the offseason, which resulted in the veteran lefty signing a modest one-year, $25 million contract with Arizona.
“Obviously Boras kind of butchered it, so I’m just trying to move on from the offseason and try to forget it,” Montgomery recently told the Boston Herald's Marc Cerullo.
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Because both Montgomery and Snell signed so late into spring training, both experienced a shorter ramp-up period leading up to the start of the 2024 season, which resulted in both aces struggling mightily out of the gate.
In speaking to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly before Sunday's loss to the Seattle Mariners, Snell shared why he disagrees with Montgomery's harsh assessment of Boras.
“My experience with Scott has been great,” Snell told Baggarly. “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.”
“I’ve seen how [Montgomery] struggled, but he signed the deal that he ultimately wanted to sign. 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.”
San Francisco Giants
While it's possible an agent could misread the market, Snell ultimately believes his and Montgomery's contracts, plus other underwhelming deals for Boras clients like Giants teammate Matt Chapman and Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger were the result of a down market.
“Yeah, or it could just be a free agency where no one was really pushing to get anybody," Snell shared with Baggarly. "It sucks because that was … our year to get our deals that we worked so hard to get. But ultimately the market’s the market. You can’t control it. You can’t get upset about it the way it is. Just pitch better, find a way to do better, continue to compete. Whatever you believe you deserve, you go earn it.”
While Snell was able to turn his 2024 season around in a major way, recording numerous career milestones, including a no-hitter on Aug. 2, Montgomery has continued to struggle.
The D-backs lefty has a 6.44 ERA in 95 innings with Arizona this season, which does not set him up well to re-enter the market next offseason.