March 29 : The Diamondbacks have made it official, announcing Montgomerys signing today, adding that Montgomery has been optioned to Triple-A Reno. Players with more than five years of service time cant be optioned without their consent, but the lefty presumably agreed to be sent down so that he could get in some work after mi sing Spring Training while unsigned. The lefty is targeting April 19 for his first start with the Snakes, per . March 26 : The Diamondbacks and left-hander are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $25MM pact. The deal includes a $20MM vesting player option for the 2025 season, with Montgomery earning the ability to opt out if he starts at least ten games in 2024. Montgomerys option will vest at $20MM if he makes ten starts, with an additional $2.5MM added to the option upon reaching 18 starts and 23 starts during the 2024 season. The deal is pending a physical. The deal brings to a close a lengthy free agency for Montgomery, who defeated the Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series alongside the Rangers just five months ago. Arizona will be the 31-year-olds fourth team in the past three seasons. Montgomerys free agent ody sey dragged on longer than anyone could have reasonably anticipated heading into the offseason, when he was widely expected to command a long-term, nine-figure contract. The 2023-24 offseason, however, will be one remembered as an oddity, given the stark number Charles Barkley Jersey of clubs dealing with uncertainty regarding their television broadcast rights Montgomerys incumbent Rangers among them and about a third of the league facing luxury-tax concerns of some degree. All of that combined to limit the market for Montgomery and other top-tier free agents, although the left-handers lofty asking price on the heels of a career-year punctuated by postseason heroics surely didnt do him any favors. Even as late into the offseason as early March, the left-hander and agent Scott Boras were reported to be seeking a six- or even seven-year deal. A six-year deal under conventional market circumstances early in the offseason mightve been attainable, but this offseasons market simply didnt bear that. The nature of this new contract with the D-backs will allow him the opportunity to take another bite at the free agent apple next offseason, with some added insurance in the form of a player option that safeguards against a late-season injury. After spending his entire career until the 2022 trade deadline in a Yankees uniform, Montgomery was swapped to St. Louis in exchange for center fielder . The southpaw found great succe s in St. Louis, delivering a 3.31 ERA and 3.50 FIP in 32 starts for the club before he was once again swapped in a deadline deal, this time going to Texas as the Cardinals faced their first 90-lo s campaign of the 21st century. His strong performance continued in Texas as he pitched to a sterling 2.79 ERA down the stretch before delivering a 2.90 ERA in 31 postseason innings as the Rangers claimed their first World Series championship in franchise history. While Montgomery has emerged as a starter capable of comfortably pitching at the front of a playoff rotation in his 50 appearances (both postseason and regular season) since leaving New York, he showed himself to be a quality mid-rotation arm even during his days in the Bronx. While he mi sed much of the 2018 and 2019 campaigns rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, the lefty pitched to a respectable 3.94 ERA and 3.90 FIP in 98 appearances acro s five-and-a-half years with the club. During his time in New York, he struck out 22.7% of batters faced while walking just 6.9% and generating grounders at an above-average 43.7% clip. Those peripheral numbers are fairly consistent with the ones hes posted during his breakout over the past two seasons; since the start of the 2022 campaign, Montgomery has struck out opponents at a 21.6% clip while walking 5.6% with a 45.3% groundball rate. For the Diamondbacks, the addition of Montgomery further strengthens a starting rotation that the club already took a major step toward addre sing when they signed left-hander to a back in December. When at full strength, the clubs rotation now figures to feature NL Cy Young Award finalist and Montgomery at the front, with Rodriguez and veteran righty in the middle, and youngster bringing up the rear. Its a ma sive upgrade from the clubs 2023 group, which pitched to a combined 4.67 ERA last season. That was a bottom-ten figure in the majors last year and placed the club dead last among all 2023 playoff teams. By signing Montgomery, the Diamondbacks have succe sfully converted one of their biggest weakne ses in 2023 into a clear strength ahead of the 2024 season, at least on paper. Of course, it remains to be seen whether that on-paper strength in the rotation will yield results. Availability remains a major question mark for the starting staff in Arizona entering the regular season, as neither major pitching addition will open the season in the clubs rotation. Rodriguez was last week due to a lat strain and has no announced timetable for return. As for Montgomery, reports that the club doesnt expect him to be ready for at least a few weeks. Previous reports had indicated that Montgomery had built up to 75 pitches in his offseason workouts, though said training is no replacement for facing live hitting in organized ball. reports that the delayed start to the southpaws season comes with what could prove to be a significant financial benefit. Because Montgomery has agreed to start in the minor leagues to ramp up for his D-backs debut, Piecoro indicates that the left-hander will be rendered ineligible to receive a qualifying offer should he return to free agency this winter. That removes perhaps the most significant drawback Montgomery faced in signing a short-term deal this winter, as his midseason trade from St. Louis to Texas allowed him to enter free agency unencumbered by draft pick compensation. Had he been eligible for the QO this coming winter, hed run the risks of facing a deflated market as a qualified free agent. That po sibility is now no longer a concern. The addition of Montgomery sends Arizonas already franchise-record payroll to new levels after an offseason spending spree. In addition to Montgomery and Rodriguez, the club also fortified their outfield mix with , , and in free agency while swinging a deal to land third baseman to bolster their infield. Those additions wound up bringing the clubs estimated payroll ( ) to more than $167MM, with a $215MM figure for luxury tax purposes. Both numbers blow Arizonas past records of $132MM in 2018 and $155MM in 2023 ( ) out of the water as the club enters 2024 eager to return to the postseason and establish themselves as a top contender in the NL alongside clubs such as the Dodgers, Braves, and Phillies. first reported the sides had reached an agreement. reported the salary terms for 2024 as well as the 2025 vesting option. reported additional details regarding the nature of the vesting option. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images Grant Hill Jersey