Diamondbacks Owner Doesn't Hold Back About Signing of Ex-Yankees Starter

A former Yankee - and a well-liked one - was publicly slammed for his poor performance this season.

Sep 22, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (52) pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

To say Jordan Montgomery's 2024 season was brutal would be an understatement.

The former New York Yankees' stalwart endured the worst season of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, shockingly cratering to a 6.23 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 25 pitching appearances (21 starts). Montgomery was pursued by many teams in free agency during the 2023-24 offseason, with the Yankees also showing interest in a reunion, but after settling on a short-term deal, the lefty's value has tanked.

To make matters worse, Montgomery is now in the middle of a PR nightmare as Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick expressed his extreme buyer's remorse.

"If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you're talking to the guy that should be blamed," Kendrick said during an interview on the Burns and Gambo Show. "Looking back in hindsight, it was a horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did. It was our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint, and I'm the perpetrator of that."

"If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you're talking to the guy that should be blamed."

D-backs managing general partner Ken Kendrick on the signing of Montgomery in the offseason.

Full interview: https://t.co/c9zHhCcebT pic.twitter.com/4wfNmwihSX

— The Burns & Gambo Show (@BurnsAndGambo) October 1, 2024

While Montgomery certainly performed far below his standards in 2024, Kendrick's harsh comments about a player who is still currently on the team has predictably created significant backlash from baseball fans; this includes Yankee fans coming to the southpaw's defense, as they are well-aware of what Montgomery can bring to a team.

In five-and-a-half seasons (2017-first half of 2022) with the Bronx Bombers, "Gumby" or "Monty" was a dependable starter that showed several flashes of brilliance; he logged a 3.94 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9. While these aren't spectacular numbers, Montgomery's tenure with the Yankees was seeing consistent improvement across each season until he was shockingly traded away at the 2022 trade deadline.

New York infamously traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals for center fielder Harrison Bader; right on cue, Montgomery broke out over the next season and a half. The lefty enjoyed a career-best 2023 season (3.20 ERA and 3.56 FIP in 188 innings) with both the Cardinals and the Texas Rangers, and thrived in the ensuing postseason on the way to winning a World Series title with Texas.

Curiously, Montgomery went unsigned in free agency until two days before the start of the 2024 season; he signed with the Diamondbacks for a two-year, $47.5 million deal, with a player option that he could exercise if he makes at least 18 starts in the first season. Despite his terrible 2024 performance, the 31-year-old met that threshold of starts, allowing him to opt into a $22.5 million salary for 2025.

If Montgomery chooses to leave the D-Backs after this unnecessary call-out, it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Bronx Bombers to pursue him again in free agency. As mentioned before, New York knows what he's capable of at his best, and while the 2024 season seemingly provides a red flag, this season may be the product of Montgomery signing so late in the offseason and not having a proper spring training.

Regardless if the Yankees are interested in Montgomery or not, they know that the southpaw's 2024 season isn't an accurate reflection of his talent on the mound, and Kendrick's public roasting certainly wasn't warranted.