D-backs owner Kendrick says he’s responsible for signing underperforming pitcher Jordan Montgomery

PHOENIX (AP) — Diamondbacks owner Tom Kendrick said he is the person responsible for signing pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who underperformed this season after joining Arizona on a hefty free agent contract.

The defending National League champion Diamondbacks missed the playoffs after finishing the regular season tied with the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves with an 89-73 record. But the Mets and Braves owned tiebreakers over Arizona because they won the season series and earned wild-card spots.

The Diamondbacks were left to reflect on the season, and Kendrick told Arizona Sports on Monday that he was the person pushing for the signing of Montgomery, who helped the Texas Rangers beat Arizona in the World Series.

Kendrick was expecting much more from Montgomery, who went 8-7 with a 6.23 ERA after signing a $25 million, one-year deal.

“If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you’re talking to the guy that should be blamed,” Kendrick said. “Because I brought it to (the front office’s) attention. I pushed for it. They agreed to it — it wasn’t in our game plan. You know when he was signed — right at the end of spring training. And looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to invest that money in a guy who performed as poorly as he did. It’s our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint. And I’m the perpetrator of that.”

The 31-year-old left-hander agreed to a contract in March and wound up missing nearly a month of the season with a knee injury. He finished with 83 strikeouts in 117 innings after eventually moving to the bullpen.

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