SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The past 16 months play like payback for Jordan Montgomery. Like a 2.0 version of “Damn Yankees,” in which the lefty sells his soul to be a vital contributor to the first championship team in Rangers history, and in return gets comeuppance, controversy and pitching calamity.
In shorthand: Montgomery oversold himself in free agency following his 2023 stretch run/postseason excellence with Texas; hoped to go back to the Rangers, who curtailed spending due to uncertainty about local TV revenue; lingered in the market before signing as last season began with Arizona for one year with a player option for way less than he anticipated; blamed and ultimately fired his agent, Scott Boras; rushed spring training before joining the Diamondbacks three weeks into the season; pitched heavier than in the past and was both hurt and ineffective to the point where he was pulled from the rotation in August.
After Arizona lost tiebreakers to the Braves and Mets to miss the playoffs, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick ripped Montgomery’s signing as a “horrible decision.” Nevertheless, Montgomery had pitched so poorly (6.23 ERA, worst in MLB by anyone with at least 100 innings) that he opted into his $22.5 million 2025 contract. That left him involved in scores of trade rumors. Nothing was consummated. So he is in spring training battling for the fifth starter spot with two players with far fewer accomplishments — Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt.
And just to show how devilish the details have been for the former Yankee, Montgomery was slowed by a left index finger injury, and when he was supposed to make his spring debut Friday, the game against the Angels was rained out.
