Premier Red Sox Free-Agent Target Reportedly Moves To Boston

Could this pave the way for a big off-season addition?

It's no secret what the Boston Red Sox need most this off-season. Starting pitching is at the top of the organization's free-agency wish list.

While starters such as Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray have already been signed, there are still a good handful of top-of-the-line rotation arms on the free-agent market.

Recently on our very own ITM Podcast, MLB.com's Ian Browne told us the Red Sox prefer ace Jordan Montgomery over the likes of Nola and Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto. This was the first I had heard of this news and still seems to be Boston's approach as we are just one week away from Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings.

Interestingly enough, Montgomery is going to be spending a lot of time near Fenway Park this winter.

According to MassLive's Chris Cotillo, Montgomery will be in Boston for the next few months while his wife, McKenzie, begins her dermatology residency at a local hospital. Cotillo added that Montgomery has been working out and throwing at Boston College in recent weeks.

While his actual current geographical location shouldn't have a huge impact on where he spends the next handful of years in the major leagues, this still seems to be somewhat significant for the Red Sox and their chances at landing the lefty hurler.

Making an all-out push for your top free-agent starter target while he is in your own backyard would seem to be a much easier set of circumstances than going through Zoom, out-of-town meetings with his agent, and any other routine for making an offseason deal.

Montgomery, who turns 31 in a month, is coming off a very impressive stretch with the Texas Rangers. After being acquired at the trade deadline from the St. Louis Cardinals, he went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA to close out the regular season. He then went 3-1 with an impressive 2.90 ERA in six postseason appearances (five starts) to help lead the Rangers to their first World Series title in franchise history.

Will Montgomery's close proximity to the Sox this winter lead to him signing a big deal in Boston? We shall see. But it can't hurt.

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