Jordan Montgomery signing with Diamondbacks
Jordan Montgomery has found a new home and it's with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to multiple reports.
The left-hander is signing a one-year deal with the defending National League Champions for $25 million, with a vesting player option for 2025 if he makes 10 starts this season.
With Opening Day approaching, and the Yankees and Mets needing help in their starting rotation, Montgomery was seen as a possible late addition with recent reports stating that neither team had "closed the door" on adding the left-hander.
He would have lifted both rotations, which are without their aces Kodai Senga and Gerrit Cole to start the 2024 season.
When the Yanks traded Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals for Harrison Bader during the 2022 season, GM Brian Cashman attempted to justify it by saying he didn't envision Montgomery making New York's postseason rotation. That move was viewed as an odd one at the time and obviously aged very poorly.
The left-handed Montgomery, who is entering his age-31 season, found another gear this past summer after being traded from the Cardinals to the Rangers. After landing in Texas, Montgomery had a 2.79 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 11 regular season starts before helping them win their first World Series title.
He had two terrific starts in the ALCS, allowing just two runs in 14 innings while walking three and striking out 10. In his lone World Series start, Montgomery allowed four runs in six innings.
Overall in 2023, Montgomery had a 3.20 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while striking out 166 in 188.2 innings over 32 starts.
One of the things that made Montgomery intriguing was not only how he finished the season and pitched in the postseason for Texas, but how reliable he has been when it comes to taking the ball.
He has made 30 starts or more each of the last three seasons, with regular season innings totals of 157.1, 178.1, and 188.2 in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively.
