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Jordan Montgomery Joins Jimmy Eat World’s Annoying Drummer in Arizona
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The Phillies did not sign free agent starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, nor did any big market, big spending team. Instead, he went to join Jimmy Eat World’s annoying-ass drummer in Arizona:
BREAKING: Left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a free agent deal, pending physical, a source tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2024
It’s one year, $25 million contract with a second-year vesting option, for $20+ million depending on how many games he starts in 2024. That wouldn’t break the bank for the Phillies, who according to Jim Salisbury were hesitant to go into the upper levels of the luxury tax.
But Montgomery going to Arizona is annoying. Still can’t believe the Phillies lost to those dopes. You’re hoping their 2023 was a flash in the pan, a Cinderella type of run, but their starting rotation looks pretty good and they’re good enough to win a lesser division. The biggest thing keeping them down is the fact that they play in the NL West, which likely puts their ceiling at the Wild Card.
During an interview on ‘The Michael Kay Show’ on ESPN New York, baseball analyst Buster Olney said the 31-year-old is looking to avoid the bright lights and play “in a smaller market like Texas, like St. Louis,” though that seems unlikely given the teams interested.
“I know the Red Sox had interest in him. You know the connection between Boston and his wife [Mckenzie], and maybe that would make some sense,” said Olney. “Maybe the Red Sox have some insurance on the [Lucas] Giolitto deal. All along, on paper, I thought the Red Sox made a lot of sense, but I don’t know what Jordan wants.”
Look, whenever the Red Sox don’t get a player, we all win, but it would have been better if Montgomery played for some mediocre AL team. He’s 31 and got his ring last year, so if you wanna go play in front of nobody in Arizona, I don’t blame him. Enjoy the weather, enjoy the money, enjoy the relatively-low expectations and calm environment.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com