Astros AL West Rival Loses Postseason Star to Diamondbacks

The Houston Astros seemed to have some interest in Jordan Montgomery, a pitcher that gave them issues in last year’s ALCS.

Nov 1, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (52) celebrates / Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

If the Houston Astros couldn’t have him, then it’s probably a good thing that their AL West rival Texas Rangers couldn’t have him, either.

ESPN reported on Tuesday that left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery had agreed to a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, pending a physical. The financial terms were not disclosed.

It’s an interesting twist, since Montgomery helped the Rangers win their first World Series crown at the Diamondbacks’ expense. He also helped the Rangers win their third American League Championship Series at the Astros’ expense, the first head-to-head confrontation between the two rivals in the postseason.

Montgomery started 2023 with St. Louis and was traded to the Rangers. He had his best overall season, as he went 10-11 with a 3.20 ERA with 166 strikeouts and 48 walks. With the Rangers he went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA.

In the postseason he went 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA. He won two of his five starts and claimed the win in relief in Game 7 of the ALCS against Houston.

When Blake Snell finally came off the board and signed with the San Francisco Giants, there were some rumors that the Astros might be interested in Montgomery, given their own starting pitching issues.  

The Astros entered spring training knowing that Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. would need roughly half the season to recover from major injuries that ended their 2023 seasons. Then, veteran starter Justin Verlander experienced shoulder issues to start spring training and needed more time to build up, meaning he’s not ready to start the regular season.

Last week, Jose Urquidy had to return to Houston for testing after he left a game with what turned out to be inflammation in his right forearm. He’ll rest for at least another week before he starts a throwing program.

In spite of the injuries, the Astros didn’t bite on either Snell or Montgomery, even as it became clear that neither Scott Boras-represented client was going to get the long-term, big money deal each was hoping for when free agency started.