Jordan Montgomery Exercises Player Option With D-Back

exercised his $22.5MM player option with the Diamondbacks, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com ( ). There was never much doubt on this decision, though Montgomery stands as one of the top of the winter. Montgomerys first season in the desert was a nightmare. The veteran southpaw signed late on a $25MM pillow contract after his market failed to materialize. He changed his representation shortly into the season and has publicly expre sed di satisfaction with how former agent Scott Boras handled negotiations. Montgomery surely hoped to retest the market after one season, but he didnt pitch well enough to give himself that opportunity. Opponents teed off for a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings. Arizona pushed him out of the rotation after 21 starts, the first time in his career that he lost a Eric Bledsoe Jersey starting job. The only silver lining was that Montgomery made enough starts to vest the option that he eventually pushed to a $22.5MM value. Owner Ken Kendrick pulled no punches after the season. If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, youre talking to the guy that should be blamed, the owner said after the team narrowly mi sed the playoffs. Because I brought it to (the front offices) attention. I pushed for it. They agreed to it. It wasnt in our game plan. And looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did. Its our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint. And Im the perpetrator of that. There was some chatter that Kendrick went public hoping to alienate Montgomery so the pitcher would pa s on the option. If that was the intent, it never stood much chance. Montgomery would have been leaving millions on the table if he returned to free agency. Hed likely have been looking at a one-year contract in the $8-12MM range in that case. Even if Montgomery wants a fresh start, thats too much to bypa s. Arizona will probably look for ways to offload a portion of the deal in an offseason trade, though they wouldnt be able to shed the entire salary without taking back an undesirable contract in their own right. Anthony Davis Jersey