The Diamondbacks, coming off of a World Series run, did what they could this offseason to position themselves to be contenders again. But not everyone lived up to expectations, and Arizona missed the postseason this year.
Diamonback’s owner Ken Kendrick pointed to left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who signed with the team on a one-year deal worth $25 million that includes an option for next year.
“If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you’re talking to the guy that should be blamed,” Kendrick said on The Burns & Gambo Show on Monday. “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. … And looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did. It’s our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint. And I’m the perpetrator of that.”
Montgomery, 31, went 8-7 this season with a 6.23 ERA and lost his spot in the rotation later in the season to Ryne Nelson. Montgomery spent time in the bullpen then returned to the rotation when Nelson got hurt.
The Yankees drafted 2014 and he made his major league debut with the team in 2017. He spent six seasons in New York before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022 in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader. At last year’s trade deadline, he was traded to the Texas Rangers, with whom he won the World Series.
