Jordan Montgomery‘s season took an unexpected turn, and it’s safe to say he didn’t quite anticipate the rollercoaster ride he got with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Coming off the team’s electrifying 2023 World Series run, Montgomery’s addition was meant to be a power play, hyping up the fanbase and raising expectations sky-high. But things didn’t exactly unfold with the same grandeur everyone had hoped for. The season brought its share of ups and downs, and even Montgomery faced some direct criticism from the team’s owner. But Jordan’s not just taking it on the chin as he leans on the “silver lining” of his contract.

In a major move, Jordan Montgomery exercised his $22.5M player option with the D-backs, as per reports from MLB.com. Remember, Montgomery’s player contract was designed so that he could choose to extend his stay with the team for another year after finishing his first season with the team. Now, the pitcher has decided to do just that despite the criticism he faced within the team. 

For the unversed, D-backs owner Ken Kendrick opened up on Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo and claimed responsibility for the decision to sign Montgomery. “I pushed for it,” he said, adding, “They agreed to it. It wasn’t in our game plan when he was signed right at the end of spring training, and looking back in hindsight, (it was) a horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did. It’s our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint, and I’m the perpetrator of that.” 

Jordan Montgomery’s tenure with the team is not over just yet despite the slew of poor performances. He had the unpleasant distinction of having the worst ERA in MLB among pitchers who stood with a terrible 6.23 ERA in 117 innings. Besides, Montgomery was pushed out of the rotation by Arizona after 21 starts. While Kendrick might have anticipated that Jordan would give up his contract after calling him one of his worst investments, the scenario did not unfold the same way.

And it’s not difficult to understand why. Had Montgomery decided to give up the lucrative deal, it would have been difficult to find a similar offer given his latest poor performances, and it could have landed him in a lesser market-value zone. So, what lies ahead of the Diamondbacks with the latest decision of the pitcher?

Is there a payroll challenge for Diamondbacks due to Jordan Montgomery’s decision?

The D-backs did not just start the season with a new hope and anticipation, but a record payroll in the history of the franchise. While the opening day payroll amount ranged somewhere around $163 Million, the team spent $172 Million by the time the dust settled on the ongoing season. While owner Kendrick claimed that the franchise would still offer a decent payroll, he did not rule out any figure. But will Montgomery’s decision impact this determination? The chances are likely. 

Without decent postseason revenue, it would be difficult for the team to exceed or even equal the 2024 payroll. Montgomery’s decision also meant that the franchise would be left with no more than $28-35 million to replace free agents which might not be enough to bring back players like Christian Walker and Joc Pederson. For now, it would be interesting to see if Arizona can bring out something unique to overcome the financial challenge going forward.

Will the pitcher overcome his challenges the next season? What do you think/ Share in the comments below.