The Arizona Diamondbacks’ season ended Monday, offering a chance for some reflection. Team owner Ken Kendrick didn’t like what he saw.
During an interview with The Burns & Gambo ShowKendrick took full responsibility for what he called the team’s biggest mistake last offseason: Jordan Montgomery’s contract. He said he pressured his front office to sign the left-hander, which he called a “horrible decision” in retrospect:
“Let me say it the best way I can say it. If anyone wants to blame someone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, they’re talking to the guy who should be blamed, because I let them know. I pressed it. They agreed.
“It wasn’t in our game plan. You know when they signed him, right at the end of spring training, and looking back, in retrospect, it was a horrible decision, to have invested that money in a guy who performed as poorly as he did. “It’s our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint, and I’m the author of that.”
Kendrick isn’t being overly dramatic there. Montgomery really was that bad.
After the best season of his career in which he became a postseason hero for the World Series champion Texas Rangers, Montgomery and his agent, Scott Boras, expected a nine-figure contract. They ended up waiting until March 27 to sign a one-year, $25 million deal with Arizona after all other suitors died. Montgomery fired Boras a few weeks later.
That disastrous offseason led to a disastrous season, even if it seemed like a good fit at the time. The D-Backs could attest to Montgomery’s talent after facing him in the World Series, but that’s not the guy they have. His 6.23 ERA was the worst mark in MLB this season among pitchers with at least 100 innings. He was demoted to the bullpen in August.
The D-backs finished the season with a record of 89-73, losing a playoff spot via tiebreakers to the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. If they had won one more game, they would be playing in the postseason.
According to Baseball Reference’s calculation of Wins Above Replacement, Montgomery was worth -1.4 wins this season.
Adding to the mess: Montgomery’s time with the D-backs probably isn’t over. Due to contractual incentives, his deal contains a $22.5 million player option for next season, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, which Montgomery is likely to exercise.
Kendrick’s willingness to criticize a player who will likely be under contract with the team next season could be an indication that the D-backs will look for some way to get him off the books.