In order to improve the rotation, the Boston Red Sox were in dire need of top-tier starting pitchers going into the offseason.
Boston did make a good addition when they signed Lucas Giolito, a former All-Star, to play with Brayan Bello. Although moving Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves put the Red Sox back in that position, they actually needed to add two pitchers because Vaughn Grissom, a young player, filled the void at second base.
With their track record as starters in prior seasons, Bello, Giolito, Nick Pivetta, and Kutter Crawford seem like lock locks for the Red Sox rotation. Tanner Houck, Josh Winckowski, who made waves in 2023 as a reliever, Garrett Whitlock, and Josh Winckowski would fight for the last rotation position if the current roster is constructed as it is.
As superb arms in the bullpen, all three of those pitchers have experienced great success. If the Red Sox make one last offseason move, they might be able to get the most out of the three. Fortunately, there is still a reliable starter available.
Jordan Montgomery had the most momentum of any pitcher entering free agency after leading the Texas Rangers to a World Series victory. As the cornerstone of the Texas rotation, the lefty went 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA throughout his postseason run.
Montgomery has spent his entire career playing in the middle of the rotation; he rarely emerged as a front-line starter until the previous postseason. Even though he might make an ace-level salary in the postseason, he hasn’t always played that role; but, with the Red Sox, that could change.
But with Giolito, Montgomery can elevate as a 1-2 punch at the top of the Red Sox rotation right now. The 31-year-old steals the ball for his team and makes sure they win every time. Montgomery has made at least thirty starts in his last three seasons, each with an ERA of less than 4.00.
With a staff that entered the game with the fourth-fewest innings in the majors, that production offers Boston exactly what the Sox was lacking in 2023. In addition to posting when it’s his time to receive the ball, Montgomery will help the Red Sox stay in games by allowing a young lineup to have an impact.