Jordan Montgomery exercised his $22.5MM participant choice with the Diamondbacks, experiences Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (X hyperlink). There was by no means a lot doubt on this resolution, although Montgomery stands as one of many high commerce candidates of the winter.
Montgomery’s first season within the desert was a nightmare. The veteran southpaw signed late on a $25MM pillow contract after his market didn’t materialize. He modified his illustration shortly into the season and has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with how former agent Scott Boras dealt with negotiations. Montgomery certainly hoped to retest the market after one season, however he didn’t pitch effectively sufficient to present himself that chance.
Opponents teed off for a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings. Arizona pushed him out of the rotation after 21 begins, the primary time in his profession that he misplaced a beginning job. The one silver lining was that Montgomery made sufficient begins to vest the choice that he ultimately pushed to a $22.5MM worth.
Proprietor Ken Kendrick pulled no punches after the season. “If anybody desires responsible anybody for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you’re speaking to the man that needs to be blamed,” the proprietor stated after the crew narrowly missed the playoffs. “As a result of I introduced it to (the entrance workplace’s) consideration. I pushed for it. They agreed to it. It wasn’t in our sport plan. … And looking out again, in hindsight, a horrible resolution to have invested that cash in a man that carried out as poorly as he did. It’s our greatest mistake this season from a expertise standpoint. And I’m the perpetrator of that.”
There was some chatter that Kendrick went public hoping to alienate Montgomery so the pitcher would cross on the choice. If that was the intent, it by no means stood a lot probability. Montgomery would have been leaving tens of millions on the desk if he returned to free company. He’d doubtless have been taking a look at a one-year contract within the $8-12MM vary in that case. Even when Montgomery desires a recent begin, that’s an excessive amount of to bypass. Arizona will most likely search for methods to dump a portion of the deal in an offseason commerce, although they wouldn’t be capable to shed your entire wage with out taking again an undesirable contract in their very own proper.
