Breaking News: Jordan Montgomery has come to an agreement on a 1-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Details inside...
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My Thoughts:
I didn't expect the Yankees to get Jordan Montgomery. The writing was (mostly) on the wall when they let Blake Snell sign with the San Francisco Giants. There are multiple messages being made clear by the FO with this (non)-move.
They are not going to spend any more money. They have reached their "cap" and are not going to budge.
They believe they have enough starting pitching depth. Even with Gerrit Cole out for the beginning of the season.
The FO talks a big game, but they don't back it up.
On this blog we've talked about all these points time and time again. I'm not going to belabor the points anymore than I have to. Especially with this being something that we all knew was going to happen.
For Montgomery, this is an interesting move. One guaranteed year at $25 Million with a vesting option (not even an opt-out) that hits at 10 starts this season for another $20 Million before adding two separate targets of 18 and 23 starts for an extra $2.5 Million a piece.
That's a light contract for a 31-year old pitcher who's shown both consistency and reliability (mid-3.00 ERA and 30 starts) for the last three years. For Scott Boras, this is a disaster contract. For Montgomery, he knew he had to take something.
The Diamondbacks are also an interesting team. They made the World Series last year, but were bested by the team Montgomery is coming from. (Though, to be fair, Monty did get a loss for the Rangers in the World Series, allowing 4 runs in 6 innings in Game 2.) They have a great all-around team, though with all the young talent, the question is if last year was a fluke or the first showcase of a new yearly contender. Of all the teams to go with, there are many many worse options for Monty.
All that being said, its not worth it to get upset over this move not happening for us. It was never going to happen for us. So, now the talking is over. Opening Day is right around the corner.
Let's play ball.
