Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick goes BONKERS on ‘horrible’ $25 million Jordan Montgomery signing as team loses playoff spot

Ken Kendricks absolutely drilled Jordan Montgomery for the team’s failure to secure a playoff spot in 2024.

Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick goes BONKERS on ‘horrible’ $25 million Jordan Montgomery signing as team loses playoff spot

Ken Kendrick and Jordan Montgomery [Image Credit: Fox Sports/SI]

Monday was harsh for the Arizona Diamondbacks who had no choice but to sit out, watch, and hope for one team to get eliminated in the doubleheader between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. However, both of them produced identical wins, grabbing the final two NL Wild Card spots for the playoff.

While it was a celebratory day for both the NY Mets and Braves, the Diamondbacks were the unhappy ones. Especially team owner Ken Kendrick who called the whole doubleheader game a “debacle” and blasted MLB for not taking a different approach.

Although a team’s loss can be accounted for by its mistakes, batting errors, fielding, management, and several other factors, owner Kendrick decided to put it all on his “horrible decision” of signing pitcher Jordan Montgomery in the offseason. 

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He blatantly said he is to blame for the 1-year $25 million signing as it was he who pushed to get Montgomery from the Texas Rangers in the offseason. He further talked about his horrible performance in the 2024 season games and called him being a Diamondback a mistake.

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.

Ken Kendrick on X.

Ouch! Now, Montgomery is still very much part of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but whether he’ll come around after this spectacle is yet to be seen. He has a player option in 2025 and the 31-year-old can opt out of a $22.5 million deal, but given Kendrick’s judgment, he is unlikely to sign a higher contract anywhere else in 2025.

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Jordan Montgomery’s performance with the Diamondbacks so far

Last year, Jordan Montgomery led the Texas Rangers to win the World Series over the Diamondbacks which eventually led to the latter team going for him in free agency. However, he did not sign the deal until late Spring Training and struggled to find form later on.

Jordan Montgomery
Jordan Montgomery [Image Credit: Reuters]

He was even removed from the starting rotation in August but made his comeback in September. However, the results did not match his contract expectations, as he posted a 6.23 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP in 117 innings.

Montgomery on the other hand did not even expect to sign a deal with Arizona. He was waiting for a contract extension from the Rangers but eventually landed in free agency. He also had a meaningful conversation with Boston Red Sox but the deal did not come through.

The pitcher later on blamed his agent Scott Boras for his failed signing with the Red Sox and fired him. He said Boras “butchered” his chances to join their team and ended up signing with Diamondbacks in the late Spring Training period. Now whether Montgomery has to find a new home for 2025 or stay with the current team just to spite Kendrick is yet to be seen.

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