Diamondbacks Owner Blasts His Own Player, Says Signing Was A ‘Horrible Decision’

The Arizona Diamondbacks were the big loser of Monday’s doubleheader between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, missing the postseason a year after reaching the World Series. As always when a team with high expectations, there are any number of factors to blame. Injuries, underperformance, bullpen mismanagement, bad luck, trades or free agency signings.

These kinds of disappointing seasons happen every year, yet it’s rare, maybe even unprecedented, to see the team’s owner specifically call out one player as the reason for failure. But that’s exactly what Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick just did in a new interview.

Speaking on the Burns and Gambo radio show, a local Arizona sports-focused show, Kendrick took responsibility for the offseason signing of free agent pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery, fresh off an impressive regular season and ALCS performance with the Texas Rangers in 2023, was a massive disappointment in 2024. In 117 innings, Montgomery had a 6.23 ERA with just 83 strikeouts. Per Baseball-Reference, he was worth -1.4 wins above replacement, costing the Diamondbacks a win over the course of the season. They missed the playoffs by one win.

“Looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did,” Kendrick said. “It was our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint. And I’m the perpetrator of that.”

“If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you’re talking to the guy that should be blamed.” 

That’s about as pointed as it gets for an owner to criticize a specific player.

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 03: Jordan Montgomery #52 of the Texas Rangers reacts at the end of the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game One of the Wild Card Series at Tropicana Field on October 03, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Is There A Reason From Diamondbacks’ Jordan Montgomery Criticism?

The signing of Montgomery made some season from Arizona’s perspective. His 2023 ERA was 3.20, his third consecutive season with an ERA under 3.85. Though he’s never featured overpowering stuff, command and control made him a consistently above-average starter. 

Montgomery though, was signed with Scott Boras, who clearly asked for more money and contract length than MLB teams were willing to commit. Arizona swooped in with a short-term, 2-year, $47.5 million deal including a player option for 2025. It’s hard for short-term deals to backfire, as teams are able to avoid an anchor on their budgets down the road. But this one did.

And that player option may explain why Kendrick was willing to be so open with his criticism.

Montgomery, coming off his miserable performance in 2023, could guarantee himself another $22.5 million for 2024 by picking up his player option. But why play for an owner who’s called you a “horrible decision” and “biggest mistake?” Right? Who wants to stay where they aren’t wanted?

Kendrick can free up a ton of available payroll if Montgomery doesn’t exercise his option. It’s clearly not a good look to blame one player for the organization’s disappointing season. But if there’s one thing MLB owners are good at, it’s finding ways to save money.