San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell isn’t tolerating any criticism of his agent, Scott Boras, this season.
Days after Arizona Diamondbacks starter Jordan Montgomery called out Boras, his ex-agent, for “butchering” his free agent negotiations, Snell came to Boras’s defense.
Snell was asked about his relationship with Boras ahead of the Giants’ game against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, and he had nothing but good things to say.
“My experience with Scott has been great,” Snell said, via The Athletic. “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.”
Snell went on to describe Boras as an “honorable man” who shouldn’t be held accountable for Montgomery not getting what he wanted on the open market.
“I’ve seen how [Montgomery] struggled, but he signed the deal that he ultimately wanted to sign,” continued Snell. “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.”
Montgomery signed a one-year, $25 million contract with the Diamondbacks that included a player option for 2025. The 31-year-old southpaw dropped Boras in April and changed his representation to Joel Wolfe and Nick Chanock of the Wasserman Group.
Teams who shook their heads at Montgomery’s steep asking price last offseason likely feel as though they made the right decision now. After coming off a World Series championship with the Texas Rangers, Montgomery has a 6.44 ERA in 18 starts in Arizona this season, recording a career-low 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
As for Snell, the two-time Cy Young winner owns a 1.30 ERA over his past nine starts since returning from a groin injury and could be in for a lucrative payday in free agency with his trustworthy agent by his side.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Blake Snell Fires Back at Jordan Montgomery’s Criticism of Scott Boras.
