Boras says interest is up for Snell, Montgomery
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Agent Scott Boras said Monday that, just in the past week, four new teams have inquired about free agent pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. The extent of the interest is unknown — as are the teams — but Boras said the calls for those players are beginning to pick up as the need for pitching increases.
“There is a pitching panic going on in baseball,” Boras stated. “We’ve got so many starting pitchers that are now compromised. Maybe short term. Some long term. And the calls for elite starters are starting to increase.
“With many clubs right now, because of the pitching issue, the competitiveness of their seasons is at risk.”
Boras spoke at an introductory news conference for new San Francisco Giants third baseman, Matt Chapman. Chapman, 30, signed a three-year, $54 million contract over the weekend that includes opt-outs after each of the first two years. It’s a deal similar to one another Boras client, Cody Bellinger, signed last week with the Chicago Cubs. His was also for three years and included two opt-outs. Both deals came together well after the beginning of spring training.
“Definitely a strange market this year, and the free agent process was a little abnormal,” Chapman said. “Our goals were either to get a long-term contract that we felt I was worth; if not, get the short-term contract with opt-outs and bet on myself.”
Chapman cited a sprained finger that might have impacted his offense last year while with the Toronto Blue Jays — and subsequently his market. His OPS+ of 108 was the second lowest of his career.
“It wasn’t the strongest year in some people’s eyes,” Chapman continued. “So I wanted to make sure if I was going to do something long term, I was going to get the value that I was worth.”
Bellinger echoed similar sentiments recently, and, for the second week in a row, their agent cited variances in the market as to why it has taken so long for some players to sign. He pointed to a decrease in spending by anywhere from eight to 12 teams.
But the fact remains, free agents such as Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as another Boras client on the Giants, Jung Hoo Lee, all signed lucrative deals this winter. Lee inked a six-year deal for $113 million. Money has been spent, just not yet for his two available pitchers.
“I’ve had two teams change their minds about what they want to do,” Boras said. “You find that to be true because we’re in spring training.
“People think that you get a lot of phone calls and you turn a lot of things down. When you’re dealing with elite players, they have elite values. You don’t get a lot of phone calls. You get really almost nothing for months.
“When the need arises, then all of a sudden you get the calls because they’ve made the decisions to consider acquiring an elite talent. Only then do you have things to consider and evaluate. I don’t offer contracts, teams do. You don’t hear from them until that need arises.”
Of course, deals for players have been done all throughout the winter, presumably when teams feel they have a need. Boras seems to be waiting for the next round of interest, which he says is happening now.
“Ownership reaches for so many different avenues until there are no avenues to reach,” Boras said. “That takes time. They delve into it. They go into all different forms to avoid the obvious.”
The longtime agent seemed to indicate he understands the confusion by fans, considering Opening Day is weeks away and talented players remain unsigned.
“Why wasn’t this done in November?” Boras asked rhetorically. “Why weren’t No. 1 pitchers signed?”
Boras would not reveal whether he is seeking similar contracts — shorter terms with opt-outs — for Snell and Montgomery to the ones he negotiated for Chapman and Bellinger. And he said Chapman, unlike Bellinger, had choices.
“Matt could have gotten long-term contracts,” Boras said. “He could have gotten way more guaranteed money. But Matt Chapman chose to take a course where he bet on himself.”
Chapman, who is from California and played for the Oakland Athletics from 2017 to 2021, was asked whether he could have returned to Toronto.
“This was the best opportunity that I had,” he responded. “It checked all the boxes. I enjoyed my time in Toronto. This was the best opportunity for me. It made the most sense.”
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Kristen Shilton
The NHL fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000 and forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for an incident of “unsportsmanlike conduct” in warmups ahead of Game 3 of the team’s first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Cousins’ fine is the maximum allowed to a player under the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement.
With warmups underway, Cousins was spotted flipping a puck across the center ice line at Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz as he went through his pregame routine.
The two players have history as teammates with Philadelphia Flyers from 2016-17 and with the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers last season. Senators coach Travis Green emphasized that familiarity when asked about the NHL’s investigation Friday, while otherwise keeping his answer lighthearted.
“It’s an active investigation. I don’t know if I should be commenting,” said Green, drawing laughter from the gathered media. “I have people that have advised me maybe not to comment on it.
“I’m kidding. I saw the video. Stolarz and Cousins have played together. [Cousins] is probably trying to laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game. It is what it is.”
Green went on to confirm he had spoken to Cousins about the puck flip.
“[He just said] I know him,” Green said of Cousins’ reasoning. “Game within the game. Happens probably a lot more than you think.”
Toronto took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 3-2 overtime victory. Ottawa will try to stave off elimination in Game 4 on Saturday.
MONTREAL — Montreal‘s Patrik Laine is out for Friday’s Game 3 of the Canadiens’ first-round playoff series against Washington because of an upper-body injury.
Laine missed the team’s morning skate, and the Canadiens said he will be evaluated daily.
Laine, 27, was benched for the third period of Wednesday’s 3-1 loss in Game 2 after a difficult first two periods. Kasperi Kapanen replaced Laine, while defenseman Arber Xhekaj was inserted into the lineup for Jayden Struble.
The Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.
Laine, known for his dangerous shot, hasn’t scored in his past seven games.
The Canadiens acquired Laine and a second-round draft pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer for defenseman Jordan Harris.
Laine had 20 goals, including 15 on the power play, and 13 assists in 52 games this season after missing the first two months with a knee injury.
“We have some guys battling things, so we’ll see what we start with tonight,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said earlier Friday. “Obviously in a series, during games, you make adjustments. That’s part of a best-of-seven.”
Montreal is hosting its first playoff game in front of a sold-out crowd since 2017. The Canadiens played in an empty, or reduced-capacity, Bell Centre during their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
The Edmonton Oilers are making a goaltender change, putting Calvin Pickard in the crease for Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series against the visiting Los Angeles Kings.
Looking to avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination, the Oilers are turning to Pickard after Stuart Skinner yielded 11 goals on 58 shots as the Kings captured a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Pickard relieved Skinner midway through the third period of Game 2 on Wednesday, allowing one goal on three shots.
The journeyman goaltender was asked Friday afternoon how he plans to approach Game 3.
“The same way I’ve approached every game as an Oiler: go out and do my job and give our team a chance to win,” Pickard said. “Obviously the last two games didn’t go as planned in all facets, but we know we have a better effort in this locker room and we know we’re going to do that tonight.”
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said after Game 2 that he would get together with his coaching staff and decide on a starting goaltender. But Knoblauch added that he believed Skinner was not at fault for the team’s defensive troubles in this series.
“I don’t think there’s been any bad goals. There’s been a lot of goals, but the chances that we’re giving up are Grade A’s,” Knoblauch said. “I’m not sure that are many, ‘Geez, where’s the save there?’ It’s been very difficult for a goaltender playing. More structure and the less we’re giving up those opportunities, it’s a lot easier for Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard playing.”
Pickard, 33, posted a 22-10-1 record with a 2.71 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 36 games (31 starts) during the regular season. Skinner, 26, was 26-18-4 with a 2.81 GAA and a .896 save percentage over 51 games (50 starts) during the regular season.
Information from ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Field Level Media was used in this report.
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