Jordan Montgomery took the ball for the Diamondbacks tonight of their collection opener towards the Angels. It’s the tenth begin of the season for the left-hander, an anticipated however notable threshold. It formally unlocks a 2025 participant choice in his contract with a base worth of $20MM.
Montgomery had a disappointing first journey by means of free company final winter. Whereas he reportedly set out looking for a deal approaching or exceeding the seven years and $172MM which Aaron Nola acquired from the Phillies, that didn’t materialize. Montgomery lingered available on the market longer than another high free agent earlier than agreeing to phrases with the Diamondbacks simply earlier than Opening Day. He signed a one-year assure with a $25MM wage and the conditional participant choice.
That triggers at $20MM together with his tenth begin. Its worth would escalate to $22.5MM at 18 begins and max out at $25MM if he begins 23 video games. Montgomery wasn’t outfitted to make his group debut till April 19. He wanted a pair Triple-A appearances to construct his workload after sitting out throughout Spring Coaching. He’ll nonetheless have loads of time to get to 23 begins and maximize the choice worth if he stays wholesome.
At signing, the conditional participant choice seemed extra like harm safety than anything. Montgomery definitely anticipated declining it and heading again to free company looking for the long-term deal that eluded him final offseason. But his early-season efficiency hasn’t positioned him nicely for a return journey to the market.
After tossing 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball tonight, Montomgery carries a 6.58 earned run common throughout 52 innings. He has punched out simply 13.7% of batters confronted — simply the bottom charge of his profession and almost eight proportion factors under final season’s 21.4% mark. His 8.2% stroll charge is a pair factors above its typical degree. Montgomery entered tonight’s outing averaging roughly 92 MPH on each his sinker and four-seam fastball. Every pitch sat north of 93 MPH final yr.
It’s troublesome to say how a lot of that drop-off is attributable to Montgomery’s late signing and atypical preparation for the season. Maybe he’ll discover the additional tick of velocity and extra intently resemble his previous self because the yr progresses. Earlier than his stint within the desert, Montgomery had been the image of consistency. He reached the 30-start threshold in every season between 2021-23. The southpaw allowed between three and 4 earned runs per 9 with strong strikeout and stroll charges in all three years.
Signing Montgomery punctuated an aggressive offseason for an Arizona group seeking to construct off its Cinderella pennant run. The Snakes had already introduced again Lourdes Gurriel Jr., acquired Eugenio Suárez and landed Eduardo Rodriguez on a four-year deal to stabilize the rotation. None of these transactions is off to an auspicious begin. Gurriel is hitting at a league common degree. Montgomery has struggled. Suárez has hit poorly sufficient that the Snakes are reportedly contemplating alternate options at third base and will attempt to offload a few of his $12MM wage. Rodriguez suffered a lat pressure throughout Spring Coaching and has been on the injured record all season.
That has contributed to a disappointing 31-35 begin that has Arizona sitting in fourth place within the NL West. The prevailing mediocrity past the highest 4 groups within the Nationwide League however offers hope for everybody aside from the Rockies and Marlins. The ultimate two Wild Card spots are at the moment held by groups at or under .500. Regardless of being 4 video games beneath, the Snakes are one sport out of the postseason image.
Together with Rodriguez’s absence, the D-Backs have been with out Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly for the previous few weeks. Montgomery is essentially the most established member of a rotation that additionally contains Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson and Slade Cecconi in the intervening time. Gallen and Kelly have begun throwing packages.
Since Montgomery opened the season on an task to Triple-A, he won’t be eligible for a qualifying supply if he hits free company subsequent winter. His gradual begin and the participant choice would complicate any efforts to commerce him if Arizona falls out of the playoff race. The D-Backs have roughly $64MM in assured commitments for subsequent season, as calculated by RosterResource.
Montgomery’s choice might push that into the $84-89MM vary relying on what number of begins he makes. The D-Backs will nearly definitely train a $7MM choice to retain Kelly and would owe Gallen a elevate on this yr’s $10.011MM wage for his last yr of arbitration. Christian Walker, Joc Pederson and Paul Sewald are their high impending free brokers. Montgomery might nonetheless be a part of them, however it’d take a greater second half than he has managed to date. If he does retest the market, he’ll be doing so with new illustration. Montgomery switched from the Boras Company to Wasserman in April.
Picture courtesy of USA Immediately Sports activities.