"A horrible decision" – D-backs owner Ken Kendrick takes full responsibility for Jordan Montgomery signing, calling it the team's 'biggest mistake'

Syndication: Arizona Republic - Source: Imagn
D-backs owner Ken Kendrick takes full responsibility for Jordan Montgomery signing, calling it the team's 'biggest mistake' (image credit: IMAGN)

Signing Jordan Montgomery was supposed to be a move that will help push the Arizona Diamondbacks over the top. However, that's not what happened. Montgomery, who signed late in free agency, was a disaster and they missed the playoffs entirely. During Tuesday's episode of "The Burns & Gumbo Show," owner Ken Kendrick was brutally honest in his assessment of the move.

"If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you're talking to the guy that should be blamed," Kendrick said. "I pushed for it, they agreed to it. It wasn't in our game plan... Looking back, 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."

Kendrick is taking the full blame for the disastrous signing. Fortunately for the Diamondbacks, they only committed to Montgomery for one season. He was eventually demoted to the bullpen and that somehow helped turn things around.

He was able to bounce back to a positive 0.6 fWAR. However, his 6.23 ERA and 5.10 xERA are both disappointing marks for someone who was good last year in a run to the World Series.


Arizona D-backs narrowly miss playoffs

Whether or not it's because of the Jordan Montgomery signing, either because he pitched poorly or because the team didn't demote him soon enough, the Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a poor start. They rebounded well before fading down the stretch but were still in a good spot to potentially make the playoffs.

Thanks to the rainouts and Hurricane Helene, the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, two of the teams also fighting for the remaining two Wild Card spots in the NL, had to play a doubleheader on Monday after everyone else's season, including the Diamondbacks, had ended.

The D-Backs missed out on the postseason (Imagn)
The D-Backs missed out on the postseason (Imagn)

If one team won both games, the Diamondbacks would be in. It didn't matter who. The Mets came back to win the opener that cemented their playoff spot. Unsurprisingly, they didn't care as much about the second game as they did not use their best lineup.

The Braves shut the Mets out to earn their spot and left the Diamondbacks out. Arizona was a few games better than they were last year when they made it to the World Series but they missed out by being the odd team out in a three-way tie at 89-73.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez