It seems unlikely that the Phillies Target will re-sign with the Rangers.
The Phillies seem unlikely to re-sign Target with the Texas Rangers fueling new rumors The Philadelphia Phillies could see the price drop they were looking for with one of their pitching targets this season.
Brad WakaiFebruary 9, 2024 4:00 PM EST In this story: Philadelphia Phillies. Not much has been accomplished by the Philadelphia Phillies this season as they continue to chase a World Series title.
They already have a chance to reach the highest salary in team history, but they are still $5 million away from the second threshold.
They will pay for a third time, so a 50% tax will be spent on the next $5 million and then 62% on the next $20 million after that, meaning signing a high-priced free agent will have costly consequences.
Obviously the fans don’t care. The owners are worth a lot of money and should do everything they can to create a competitor. At least that’s the idea.
John Middleton did it with this version of the Phillies. Signing one of their rumored prospects like Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery or others would definitely add this caliber to the league.
For a while, it looked like left-handed starter Montgomery would re-sign with the Texas Rangers, with whom he had just won a World Series after being assigned there at the trade deadline.
But MLB Trade Rumors reports that there is widespread speculation that the Rangers could walk away from these negotiations due to the price he is seeking this offseason. This will certainly reinvigorate ties with Philadelphia.
The two men had already been linked the previous winter. Insiders keep pointing out that the Phillies aren’t done adding free agents before spring training. All signs point to them waiting for the prices of these available players to drop.
It may be a bit counterintuitive to link Philadelphia to Montgomery if the asking price drops, because that means the Rangers would likely regain interest. Don’t rule out Middleton giving Dave Dombrowski and the front office the green light to dole out another mega-deal.
Montgomery would be a great addition to the team. He’s coming off the best year of his career, posting a 3.20 ERA and 138 ERA+ in 32 starts. The 31-year-old also has playoff experience, which gives this veteran unit a boost.
It will certainly be interesting to see if the Phillies see Montgomery as the pitcher they will have to pay a lot of taxpayer money for, but one thing is for sure: they will remain committed to him until he picks his next team.
