Diamondbacks Reportedly Sign Free Agent Left-Hander Jordan Montgomery

The top remaining free agent starter left on the market will join the team he competed against in the World Series

Texas Rangers v Arizona Diamondbacks / Norm Hall/GettyImages

The Diamondbacks continue to bolster their rotation, as ESPN's Jeff Passan has reported that Arizona has signed free agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery. It's a one-year deal that will pay him $25 million this season, plus a vesting option for 2025 determined by the number of starts he makes. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports the details of that option.

So Montgomery is guaranteed $45 million if he starts 10 games in 2024 and $50 million if he makes 23 starts https://t.co/EDtj7CKGz4

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 27, 2024

Montgomery, 31, competed against the D-backs in the World Series as a member of the Texas Rangers rotation. He is coming off a strong platform season in which he pitched to a 3.20 ERA with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Rangers. He then backed it up with a 2.90 ERA in the postseason, helping the Rangers defeat the D-backs in five games in the World Series. Arizona handed Montgomery a loss in Game 2, when he was outdueled by Merrill Kelly, in a D-backs 9-1 win. As he was in a midseason trade, he was not eligible to receive a qualifying offer this offseason and will not cost the D-backs any draft pick compensation. He was reportedly seeking up to a seven-year deal this offseason, but has instead opted to take a short-term deal to play with a contender.

The D-backs rotation suffered an injury recently, with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez coming down with a left lat strain last week. Tommy Henry will fill Rodriguez's vacated spot on Saturday for the first turn through the rotation. The team is set to start three young starters through the first turn through the rotation between Henry, Ryne Nelson, and Brandon Pfaadt. At full strength, Arizona could feature a starting rotation of Zac Gallen, Kelly, Montgomery, Rodriguez, and Pfaadt. For what that could mean, see Jack Sommers earlier article today.

It will take some time before Montgomery can fully ramp up and be ready to completely contribute to the rotation. It's possible he gets some appearances in the minors before the team activates him later in the month. At the minimum, they will need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move when they announce the signing.