Red Sox Rumors: Boston ‘Prioritizing’ Top Free Agent Pitcher

The Red Sox haven't stopped their pursuit of free agent Jordan Montgomery, but the left-hander isn't budging on his relatively high asking price.

It's a good old-fashioned standoff!

Montgomery, coming off a World Series victory with the Texas Rangers last season, essentially is the top remaining pitcher on the open market. He knows it, and won't budge from the initial asking price that has kept teams away. The Red Sox clearly would like to add him to a rotation devoid of left-handed options, but recent reports suggest why they haven't made a move just yet.

Boston is "prioritizing" Montgomery over other potential pitching additions, according to Rob Bradford of Audacy, but is still waiting for the price to come down.

"The Red Sox have maintained contact with Montgomery's representative, Scott Boras, but even this late in the process, Montgomery's asking price has not dropped to the point where the Red Sox could fit him into their budget," Sean McAdam of MassLive shared Friday.

Montgomery was nails last season, finishing with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.193 WHIP. He took his game to new heights in the postseason for Texas, notching three wins and compiling a 2.38 ERA.

The 31-year-old would immediately jump to the front of Boston's rotation, helping some other options, like Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford, fall back into familiar roles in the bullpen. Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Nick Pivetta seemingly all have secured a spot, with one move looking like it could make all the difference for the Red Sox.