Inside The Diamondbacks

Jordan Montgomery Looks to Make First Start April 19th

The D-backs newest addition talks about of becoming a Diamondback.

Alex D'Agostino

Oct 28, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (52) throws a
Oct 28, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (52) throws a / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
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The Arizona Diamondbacks announced the official signing of left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery today. Hazen, Montgomery and agent Scott Boras spoke to the media at Montgomery's introductory press conference at Chase Field today.

Montgomery signed a one-year, $25 million deal with the D-backs, with a vesting option for a second year, worth up to the same amount if Montgomery makes 23 starts. Due to the lateness of the deal, and the fact that Montgomery wasn't afforded a normal Spring ramp-up period, the left-hander agreed to begin the year in Triple-A Reno, getting ready to ramp up his pitch count to full starting action.

Montgomery said that his first start with Arizona could be in a couple weeks.

“I think we’re shooting for [April] 19th. I did everything I could to be prepared, I had a feeling no team was going to let me just go out and throw five innings like I was prepared for, so I got up to 75 pitches, five innings twice, and then did a little de-load week, to cruise into where I’m at now," Montgomery said.

If April 19th is the eventual date of Monty's debut, he'd be looking at a start against the San Francisco Giants, on the road at Oracle Park.

The quickness of this deal was certainly a bit of a surprise. The left-hander said that, while the D-backs hadn't necessarily been on his radar throughout the process of free agency, the deal with Arizona came together quickly, in just a matter of a two days, prior to his official signing, but that the talented, "tight-knit" group stood out to him throughout the 2023 playoffs, and he was enticed by Arizona's "winning culture."

Both Montgomery and his agent, the famed Scott Boras, mentioned how the D-backs appealed to the left-hander due to their competitiveness and the ability to contend in the now. Boras noted that Gallen, another client of his, was excited at the idea of adding Montgomery to the squad, and emphasized what the left-hander could bring to an already talented D-backs team.

General Manager Mike Hazen praised not only Montgomery's talent, but also the reputation that precedes the left-hander. Hazen noted how Arizona jumped at the opportunity to add a pitcher of Monty's talent and ability to a rotation that already appeared much improved.

“What’s not to like, getting someone of this caliber into this rotation, I think the last 365 days this organization has kind of gone in a specific direction, and it culminated last year with us facing these guys at the end, and we feel like were in a spot right now where inning is always the most important thing, but now within our grasp. I think the way we play the game, the talent we have on our roster, and adding somebody of his caliber only helps us here," Hazen said.

“It’s a no-brainer for us to be able to add somebody to our rotation. His leadership, the things that you hear from people around the game… it’s pretty universal, they all say the same stuff," said Hazen, "Watching the way Jordan pitched in the playoffs, it’s not an accident when guys perform in the playoffs the way he has... there’s something to that.”

The Diamondbacks opted to push back right-handers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly after a long and strenuous season of starts, with Gallen pitching his career-high in innings and starts. Likewise, the big left-hander also pitched a career-high in regular season innings, before pitching another 31 innings in the postseason, adding up to a total of 219 2/3 innings.

As a result, Montgomery noted that he took somewhat of a different approach to his offseason program, similarly to the way Gallen and Kelly slow-played their return to full action over the course of Spring.

“I’m trying to get the ball every five days, no matter what, and throw seven plus every game, so we planned it into my offseason program to kind of take the first month of what I usually would do and cut that in half, a little more focus on rest and recovery instead of building the arm back up," said Montgomery, "I'm a big body, I can handle it."

The D-backs, with Eduardo Rodríguez sidelined with a lat strain, strengthen their rotation even further with the addition of Montgomery. The left-hander pitched to a career-best 3.20 ERA in 2023, and an even better 2.90 in the postseason. The Diamondbacks will not be without improved firepower in their rotation, with plenty of playoff experience to improve their postseason starts.

If you want to watch highlights of the press conference, you can find the video here.

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Alex D'Agostino

ALEX D'AGOSTINO