Arizona Diamondbacks Sign Jordan Montgomery

On Tuesday, an already powerful rotation added another arm when the Arizona Diamondbacks signed free-agents lefty Jordan Montgomery.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first with the news:

The deal will pay Montgomery $25 million this season, with a vesting option for $20 million for 2025. His option has escalators that could take the deal to $25 million as well.

As for the D-backs, this will bring their payroll to around $175 million, by far their highest. Moreover, since Montgomery was traded at the deadline, the signing will not cost the Snakes a draft pick.

What does Jordan Montgomery Bring?

A lot.

The St. Louis Cardinals traded the Montgomery to the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline. He would go on to be a key part of the World Series champion Rangers rotation, defeating, ironically enough, his future team.

Last season, Montgomery was a 4.1 bWAR pitcher with a 3.20 ERA over 32 games. (That’s the eighth-best ERA in MLB among starting pitchers.) In 188.2 IP, he struck out 155, earned a WHIP of 1.193, and an ERA+ of 160.

Throughout his career, Montgomery has been durable. The 31-year-old has appeared in 141 games with a career ERA of 3.68 and a career ERA+ of 116.

He doesn’t get a lot of strikeouts, but he’s a strong presence in the starting rotation.

This is a lucrative one-year deal with significant incentives — and an opt-out after 2024. Surely, Montgomery was hoping for a long-term contract, but this pays him well in the near-term.

What Does This Mean for the D-backs’ Rotation?

It was good before, and it just got much better — and this may indicate that Eduardo Rodriguez’s lat strain is more severe than initially thought.

However, when Rodriguez returns, the D-backs will have a formidable starting rotation: Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Jordan Montgomery, and Brandon Pfaadt with Ryne Nelson and Tommy Henry waiting for a call-up.

In addition, Montgomery balances out the rotation, bringing in another lefty.

And don’t forget that Brent Strom is the D-backs’ pitching coach. He gives them an added advantage.

When all the pitchers are healthy and Montgomery is ready to join the team after ramping up, the Arizona Diamondbacks have a rotation that can compete with any in baseball. General manager Mike Hazen was meticulous in meeting his team’s offseason needs by trading for Eugenio Suárez and signing Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk in addition to bringing back Lourdes Gurriel, Jr.

With this announcement, the D-backs have made clear that they are serious about winning in 2024, and they intend to continue embracing the chaos in 2024.