D-backs Manager Picking Up "Pieces" of Jordan Montgomery

The Arizona Diamondbacks and their fans are well aware of the struggles by left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery.

In the 2024 season, the D-backs signed Montgomery to a lucrative $25 million one-year deal, with a $22.5 million option for 2025. After the southpaw pitched to a poor 6.23 ERA over 21 starts, it came as no surprise that he opted to take the one-year insurance on his career.

But the fallout of Montgomery's season was a bit deeper than some disappointing results. After the season ended on a lost tiebreaker, forcing Arizona to watch the postseason from afar, D-backs managing partner Ken Kendrick called Montgomery's deal a "horrible decision."

Whether or not those comments were truthful or justified, the D-backs do face somewhat of a dilemma with regard to the big lefty. With the recent signing of ace Corbin Burnes, Arizona now sports seven starters.

While it was no secret that the D-backs were initially looking to trade Montgomery and offload his contract, a deal has no materialized yet. With pitchers and catchers reporting less than 24 hours from the time of this writing, the club - and their manager - will need to make sure Montgomery is ready for action.

Manager Torey Lovullo joined the Foul Territory podcast on Tuesday ahead of Spring Training, and Montgomery was an understandably hot topic.

Lovullo addressed Kendrick's comments, and broke down the process of working towards a rebuilt Montgomery in 2025.

“That's the owner of our baseball team, and he's entitled to say anything that he wants to, and you know, we knew that there were going to be some pieces to pick up, and understandably so."

Lovullo said he waited a week to reach out to Montgomery following Kendrick's statement.

"I just said 'how are you doing? Where are you at?' And this is what's happening today. We're living in the present. How are we going to make this better, move the ball downfield?"

"And he was able to offload a little bit, and he made a commitment to this this group, to me, to this organization, that he's going to come in to this Spring Training in the best shape of his life, and he looks great."

"You know, I can already tell, you know when somebody walks in the door and they’ve dropped as much weight as he has, you know they had a really, really disciplined offseason, and they're ready to go out there, pull the trigger and make good things happen," the skipper continued.

Of course, this will be the first time Montgomery will be able to begin Spring Training with the Diamondbacks. The lateness of his signing held him out of the usual routine with the rest of the club.

As a result, much was speculated throughout 2024 about how the lack of a proper Spring Training affected Montgomery. Granted, a 21-start sample size doesn't leave much room for excuses, but Lovullo said the importance of a normal spring goes beyond merely conditioning and practice.

“I'm a firm believer in Spring Training. ... it's that special time when you form relationships, when you get to know your teammates, you establish the bonds, and for me, there's no greater relationship than a pitcher and catcher," Lovullo said.

"That pitcher-catcher thing is pretty special, and they’ve got to know what each is thinking and have that nonverbal communication.

"And then you throw on the person," Lovullo continued, "Jordan is a get-to-know-you type of guy. He's one of the dudes, he wants to get to know who he is in his space, and you just start to feel comfortable inside of a clubhouse, and you can't fast-forward that."

"When you get dropped into it from outer space in the middle of a season that’s really challenging. You're missing cues with your teammates. You're missing cues with your pitching coach."

And those small conversations can be critical to a player's confidence and development. Lovullo said he prioritizes finding out ways to get the most out of new players early on. He was never awarded that opportunity with Montgomery.

"That's one of the first questions I ask new players: 'how how do you want me to coach you? How do you want this relationship to take place?'

"I didn't have that with Jordan, and I know how important that is to him and his personality. So the Spring Training is going to be a big one for him."

Torey Lovullo reveals what he said on a call with Jordan Montgomery after Ken Kendrick publicly said signing him was a horrible decision. pic.twitter.com/MXjnvaQqSh
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 11, 2025

Considering the impact that Lovullo believes Spring Training and the interpersonal development thereof might have on a player, it could be a telling sign that Montgomery is still with the club.

If Arizona were to trade the lefty at this point in the off-season, he would have to begin anew, with a new club, likely missing part of their Spring Training and building those connections with new teammates.

Of course, baseball is a business, and Montgomery could ultimately find himself shipped elsewhere. But for now, Lovullo and his staff will prepare for the southpaw to enter Salt River Fields in shape and ready for a more traditional spring regiment.

Pitchers and catchers report Wednesday, February 12. Stay tuned to Diamondbacks On SI for up-to-the-minute Spring Training coverage from Salt River Fields.