Just a season ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks made a shocking run to the World Series and looked to repeat that success through key additions to the roster.
Unfortunately for them, the team missed out on the playoffs entirely as some of the biggest names failed to produce in the way they were expected.
One of those names was pitcher Jordan Montgomery – who agreed to a one-year, $25million contract. Montgomery struggled throughout the season, going 8-7 while tossing a 6.23 ERA.
In a brutal evisceration of Montgomery’s abilities, team owner Ken Kendrick took the blame for bringing the starting pitcher on board.
‘If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you’re talking to the guy that should be blamed,’ Kendrick told Arizona Sports.
Diamondbacks pitcher Jordan Montgomery has been eviscerated by one of the team’s owners
Ken Kendrick took the blame for bringing Montgomery to Arizona, where he struggled in 2024
‘Because I brought it to [the front office’s] attention. I pushed for it. They agreed to it — it wasn’t in our game plan. You know when he was signed — right at the end of spring training.
‘And looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to invest that money in a guy who performed as poorly as he did. It’s our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint. And I’m the perpetrator of that.’
The year prior, Montgomery had been on the opposite side of the World Series battle – helping the Texas Rangers clinch their first championship in franchise history.
Across the 2023 season – which Montgomery spent with the St. Louis Cardinals before finishing out the campaign in Texas – the starting pitcher went 10-11 with a 3.20 ERA.
Montgomery was one of the last major free agents to agree to a deal last offseason in a softer-than-expected market.
The pitcher was a client of MLB super agent Scott Boras, who Montgomery fired soon after signing with the Diamondbacks.
Arizona was hoping for a miracle in Monday afternoon’s doubleheader matchup between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves. If either team won both games, then the Diamondbacks would have made the postseason.
Instead, the Mets took Game 1 and the Braves took Game 2 – securing postseason berths while Arizona was left at home.
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