Jordan Montgomery, Arizona Diamondbacks agree to contract

The Arizona Diamondbacks formally signed free agent starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery to a one-year contract with an additional player option. The deal was announced Friday after multiple reports on Tuesday indicated an agreement had been reached.

Arizona optioned Montgomery to Triple-A Reno, where he will continue stretching out.

Montgomery’s contract is reportedly worth $25 million for 2024 with a vesting option for 2025. ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the agreement.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Montgomery would make $20 million in 2025 for 10 starts this year, an additional $2.5 million for 18 starts and $2.5 million more for 23 starts.

Montgomery, a 31-year-old left-hander, can also opt out after one year.

The durable southpaw has started at least 30 games in each of the past three seasons, spending 2023 with the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.

Montgomery started Game 2 of the World Series for the Rangers against the Diamondbacks, allowing four runs in six innings in Texas’ lone defeat of the Fall Classic. The veteran was stellar in the American League Championship Series with 14 innings pitched and two earned runs to help the Rangers overcome the defending champion Houston Astros.

Montgomery debuted in 2017 with the New York Yankees and has a career 3.68 ERA that drops to 2.63 in the playoffs.

He is not a big strikeout guy at 21.4% last year, but he’s kept the walks down and induced weak contact throughout his career. Arizona had one of MLB’s best defenses last year that he could benefit from this season.

Montgomery leans on his sinker, changeup and curveball, but he also deploys a four-seamer and a cutter. His four-seamer and sinker averaged 93.3 mph last year.

With the addition of Jordan Montgomery, the @DBacks now have three of last year’s top 15 pitchers in wins above replacement.#MLB | #DBacks pic.twitter.com/bkaUEOCO3u

— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) March 27, 2024

The Diamondbacks enter the year with a rotation spearheaded by Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, but free agent acquisition Eduardo Rodriguez is set to go on the injured list with a lat strain.

That left three younger starters behind Gallen and Kelly: Tommy Henry, Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson.

Montgomery missed all of spring training, so the question will be what his ramp-up timetable will look like, but he adds veteran depth to a club battling in one of the toughest divisions in baseball.

The D-backs continued to blow past their franchise record for payroll with Montgomery joining Rodriguez and outfielders Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk as outside free agents to sign with Arizona this offseason.

Montgomery is one of Scott Boras’ noted clients who signed a short-term deal late in the offseason and was at risk of not having a home by Opening Day on Thursday. Others include Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and J.D. Martinez.

Follow @alexjweiner