Jordan Montgomery finally has a team.
All it took was 36 hours before Opening Day to get it done.
Montgomery is reportedly signing a one-year, $25 million deal with the reigning National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks with a vesting player option for a second season. He adds to a rotation featuring Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodríguez, who will begin the season on the Injured List with a lat strain.
Montgomery joins a Diamondbacks team he helped beat in the World Series a year ago with the Texas Rangers. He enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2023 despite finishing 10-11. He posted a 3.20 ERA with the St. Louis Cardinals and Rangers and had a 2.79 ERA after being dealt to Texas. The southpaw had a strong postseason, most notably pitching seven shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild-Card Round.
News of Montgomery’s imminent signing had a moderate impact on Arizona’s futures market. The Diamondbacks were +1100 to capture the NL West crown at FanDuel but moved to +1000 after they landed the impact pitcher. Their NL pennant odds went from +1800 to +1700, which is fifth-best in the league behind the Dodgers (+165), Braves (+250), Phillies (+800) and Cardinals (+1600).
Meanwhile, their World Series odds saw the biggest movement, climbing to +3500 after sitting at +4000. Montgomery also opened at +3000 to win the NL Cy Young, tied with the Dodgers’ Bobby Miller and Marlins’ Jesus Luzardo.
