Last marquee free agent finds home – with team he beat in World Series

As the Major League Baseball season gets underway, the last marquee free agent from the winter finally found a home — with the team he beat in the World Series.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery agreed to a one-year, $25 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, ending a months-long saga that saw four major clients of agent Scott Boras unemployed well into spring training.

Yet first baseman Cody Bellinger (three years, $80 million), third baseman Matt Chapman (three years, $54 million) and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell (two years, $62 million) all found homes with enough time to settle in with their new clubs for Opening Day. All three received opt-outs allowing them to re-try the market.

Montgomery, 31, still lingered on the market even as teams packed up their spring training camps and headed home, a startling outcome for a durable starting pitcher who played a major role in the Texas Rangers’ World Series win.

Now, he’s the last addition to an NL West arms race that picked up heat in the final weeks before spring training.

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On March 13, the San Diego Padres swung a trade for Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease. Six days later, Snell agreed to terms with the San Francisco Giants.

And less than 48 hours before their opener, the Diamondbacks, the defending NL champions reeled in Montgomery, their second massive addition to the rotation following the early signing of lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. While Rodriguez will open the season on the injured list with a lat strain, the quintet of Montgomery, Rodriguez, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt is the best in the NL West.

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Acquired in a midseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, the left-hander Montgomery made 11 regular-season starts (2.79 ERA), and pitched 31 postseason innings (2.90 ERA) during his time in Texas.

Montgomery made five starts in the playoffs and also got the win out of the bullpen in Game 7 of the ALCS triumph over the Houston Astros. The Rangers’ title was the first in franchise history.

Montgomery faced the Diamondbacks in Game 2 of the World Series, Arizona’s lone win in the Rangers’ 4-1 Series conquest, giving up four runs in six innings.

Montgomery has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball for the past three seasons, with a 3.48 ERA as only 10 pitchers to have made at least 94 starts from 2021-2023. His contract also includes a $25 million vesting option for 2025.

Texas landed Montgomery ahead of the trade deadline, sending reliever John King and two minor leaguers to the floundering Cardinals.

It was the second summer in a row that Montgomery was traded, joining St. Louis from the New York Yankees in a 2022 trade for outfielder Harrison Bader. Montgomery started 5-0 with the Cardinals after that deal and helped his new team win a division title.

Montgomery received Rookie of the Year votes as a rookie in 2017 but had Tommy John surgery early the next season, ultimately not returning until the end of 2019.

In his career, Montgomery is 38-34 with a 3.68 ERA in 755 innings.