Signing Jordan Montgomery was a ‘horrible decision’: Diamondbacks owner

Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick didn’t hold back on his “horrible decision” to sign Jordan Montgomery before the 2024 season. 

Montgomery, who posted a 6.23 ERA in 25 games for Arizona, signed with the Diamondbacks just before Opening Day in what turned out to be one of the worst free agency signings of the offseason.

“Let me say it the best way I can say it, if anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you’re talking to the guy who should be blamed,” Kendrick said on the “The Burns & Gambo Show” on Monday. “Because I brought it to [the front office’s] attention. I pushed for it. They agreed to it.

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“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 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.”

The former Yankees southpaw was one of four star-level Scott Boras clients – dubbed the Boras Four – to sign late last offseason at deals thought to be below market value. 

After dominating during the 2023 World Series run with the Rangers, Montgomery had to wait until two days before Opening Day to sign a one-year, $25 million deal with the Diamondbacks. 

Montgomery pitched enough to trigger a one-year, $22.5 million player option for 2025, which he is expected to pick up after his disastrous 2024 season.

A few weeks later, Montgomery fired Boras and later claimed that the super agent “butchered” his free agency process. 

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The Diamondbacks (89-73) fell one win short of making the postseason after the Mets and Braves split a double-header on Monday to play into October.