The Braves have a type. They’re not going to go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers, Mets, and any other club with deep pockets for marquee free agents. Alex Anthopoulos prioritizes value above anything else. That doesn’t mean he won’t dip into free agency, but he usually zigs when everyone else zags — i.e., Reynaldo Lopez. One buy-low trade candidate that has the Braves written all over it is Jordan Montgomery. After holding out for a lucrative long-term deal in free agency last offseason, he was forced to sign a one-year contract worth $25 million with the Diamondbacks with a player option attached for 2025.
Without any Spring Training, Montgomery got off to a slow start and never found his rhythm, resulting in an unsightly 6.23 ERA across 21 starts. However, prior to the 2024 campaign with Arizona, the veteran recorded a 3.48 ERA over three seasons with the Yankees, Cardinals, and Rangers. Moreover, his 4.48 FIP from last year suggests that his 6.23 ERA was a bit inflated.
What makes it even more ideal is the Diamondbacks are motivated to move Montgomery, so much so that the Snakes are willing to eat a portion of his salary to facilitate a trade, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who described Montgomery as “near the top of the list of players likeliest to get dealt.”
There’s a crack in their relationship. Following the disappointing season, owner Ken Kendrick told Arizona Sports 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.”
Everything just makes too much sense, so what would a trade look like? Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer came up with a proposal.
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Trade Proposal: Atlanta Braves get LHP Jordan Montgomery, cash; Arizona Diamondbacks get RHP Ian Anderson
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Ian Anderson is an unknown coming into the 2025 season. This year, the 26-year-old posted a 3.96 ERA in ten starts at Triple-A, with 53 strikeouts and 27 walks over 52.1 innings. That’s not exactly inspiring stuff, but let’s not forget who he was at his best.
Anderson owns a 1.26 postseason ERA, including two shutout outings during the Braves 2021 World Series run, one of which was 5.0 hitless innings in Game 5 against the Astros. He still has multiple years of control at a team-friendly rate, and sometimes, guys come back better after Tommy John.
Of course, if the Braves see Anderson as a longshot to contribute in Atlanta, making this trade could make sense. One critical factor is the cash, though. Arizona is expected to eat some of Montgomery’s salary, but how much?
If they eat a little over $7 million and the Braves get Jordan Montgomery for $15 million, that would be an appealing trade from where I sit.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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