The Chicago White Sox could look to add another veteran pitcher to their starting rotation, and they were reported to be a possible trade fit for this AL West starting pitcher.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were the winners of the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes with inking him to a six-year $210 million deal per the New York Post Jon Heyman. Now that the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Corbin Burnes, they now appear to have a backlog of starting pitching clogging up their roster. After this season the Arizona Diamondbacks will have three of their starting pitchers hitting free agency, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Jordan Montgomery. With that being the case the Diamondbacks may look to trade on of them to get some value back.
Reported to be a destination for Jordan Montgomery
In a new report published by of MLB Trade Rumors the Chicago White Sox were reported to be a landing destination in a trade for the Arizona Diamondbacks Jordan Montgomery. With the Chicago White Sox being linked to Montgomery they should in fact look into taking a chance on Jordan Montgomery as a sort of “reclamation” project to help with their rebuild.
Jordan Montgomery will be a free agent after this season, so the White Sox wouldn’t be taken on any extra money than Montgomery’s current salary for this season which is $22.5 million after he exercised his team option for this season. Since Montgomery will be a free agent after this year the White Sox wouldn’t be committing anything long-term, as well as them being able to take on Montgomery’s salary given their payroll figures to be around $65.53 million for this season.
A season Jordan Montgomery would like to forget
Jordan Montgomery’s Arizona Diamondbacks career has been something he would like to forget. To his credit even though he had to deal with so much adversity, Montgomery grinded it out and made 21 starts (25 total games) before being regulated to the bullpen Montgomery had an 8-7 record with a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings, a 1.650 WHIP, 83 strikeouts, and an ERA+ of 67 making it an absolutely miserable season for Jordan Montgomery. With having a season like he did it made sense that Jordan Montgomery picked up his option for this season so he could come into this year having a full spring training getting himself ready to hopefully bounce back this season.
Why should the Chicago White Sox look to add Jordan Montgomery?
There was one person however that wasn’t happy to hear that Montgomery would be sticking around and that was owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks Ken Kendrick. Kendrick made his feelings clear with his comments that he wants to move on from Jordan Montgomery saying:
“Let me say it the best way I can say it: If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you’re talking to the guy that should be blamed because I brought it to their attention,” Kendrick said.
“I pushed for it. They agreed to it. It wasn’t in our game plan when he was signed right at the end of spring training, and looking back in hindsight, (it was) 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 from a talent standpoint, and I’m the perpetrator of that.”
Harsh words that you never really hear come from an owner about one of their players on their roster. Nonetheless Kendricks comments make it clear that he wants to move on from Jordan Montgomery’s salary and he’d do whatever it takes to do so. That’s why the Chicago White Sox should step in and take on Montgomery’s $22.5 million for this season as a part of a salary dump for the Arizona Diamondbacks and hopefully add on a prospect of some value to do so.
As I said the Chicago White Sox would be able to take on Montgomery’s salary given their payroll situation so that shouldn’t be an issue for them. Also adding Jordan Montgomery would give the Chicago White Sox another veteran left-hander for their starting rotation which lacks left-handed pitching as well as a veteran presence. The Chicago White Sox did add lefty Tyler Gilbert in a trade they made with the Philadelphia Phillies giving them on left-hander for the rotation, but they could use another. Adding Montgomery could only help the White Sox being that if he bounces back in the first half of next season, they could trade him for a decent prospect at next year’s trade deadline.
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