The Atlanta Braves had a dismal season by their own standards last year.
They were ousted from the National League Wild Card, and some key players have left in free agency.
Max Fried left the Braves and signed with the New York Yankees. The Braves must find a way to replace him and his innings. With Corbin Burnes signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks, FanSided’s Cody Williams said the Braves may make a “risky” trade for Jordan Montgomery.
“With Burnes now in Arizona, Montgomery does not have a role in the D’Backs rotation following his ill-fated contract with the club after missing spring training. “It was an abject disaster for the southpaw in the desert, pitching in 25 games with a 6.23 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP,” wrote Williams. “Now, the Diamondbacks front office has made not bones about the fact they want to move on but, after Montgomery opted in, they’ll have to trade him.”
Montgomery exercised his $22.5 million option this summer. The move puts the Diamondbacks in a difficult position since they may have to pay some of his salary to trade him, which is ideal for the Braves. His 6.23 ERA last season was bad, but from 2021 to 2023, he posted a 3.48 ERA and 120 ERA+.
Last summer, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick stated that he had considered signing Montgomery.
“Looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to invest that money in a guy who performed as poorly as he did,” according to Kendrick. “It’s our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint, and I’m the perpetrator of that.”
After comments like that, it’s no surprise that the team is trying to relocate to Montgomery. He might be a valuable addition to the Braves rotation, replacing the innings Fried left behind. Furthermore, a change of environment may be just what he requires to get back on track.
