The Texas Rangers have agreed to a one-year contract with left-hander Jordan Montgomery, reuniting with the pitcher who contributed to their 2023 World Series title. The deal is worth $1.25 million, according to reports, though the club has not confirmed the terms. Montgomery, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025, will not be ready for the start of the 2026 season.
The Texas Rangers are set to bring back Jordan Montgomery on a one-year deal reported at $1.25 million, as announced on Wednesday. A source informed MLB.com's Kennedi Landry of the agreement, while Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News detailed the contract value, which includes performance bonuses according to some reports. This marks the Rangers' second pitching acquisition this offseason, following their trade for MacKenzie Gore last month.
Montgomery, who turned 33 in December, missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in March or April of that year—the first came in 2018. He is expected to begin the 2026 season on the 60-day injured list and could return to the rotation in the second half, depending on his rehabilitation progress. New Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, who served as bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022 when Montgomery joined that team midseason, praised the pitcher's impact. "He was phenomenal," Schumaker said. "When he came over, he dominated for us, helped with that second-half push to get into the playoffs. He was a great clubhouse guy. Everybody loved him on our staff. Obviously, I know what he did for Texas in ‘23, so yeah, he’s awesome."
Montgomery's standout 2023 season included a 3.20 ERA over 32 starts and 188 2/3 innings with the Rangers after a midseason trade from the Cardinals. In the playoffs, he posted a 2.90 ERA in six appearances, including seven scoreless innings in the AL Wild Card Series opener against the Rays and 6 1/3 scoreless frames in ALCS Game 1 against the Astros, helping secure the franchise's first World Series championship.
His career trajectory shifted after signing a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks shortly after the 2024 Opening Day. In 2024, Montgomery struggled with a 6.23 ERA over 117 innings, a drop in strikeout rate from 21.4% to 15.6%, and reduced velocity on his sinker. After exercising his player option for 2025, arm pain led to the UCL tear diagnosis. He was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2025 deadline along with reliever Shelby Miller but did not pitch for them while rehabbing.
Originally a fourth-round draft pick by the New York Yankees in 2014 out of the University of South Carolina, Montgomery debuted solidly in 2017 with a 3.88 ERA over 29 starts. He spent six seasons with the Yankees before the 2022 trade to St. Louis for Harrison Bader, where he recorded a 3.31 ERA in 32 starts.
The Rangers' current rotation features Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, and Jacob Latz, with Montgomery and Cody Bradford anticipated to return midseason. Schumaker emphasized the importance of depth: "The pitching depth is real. You need, typically, nine or 10 to get through a season, and we're hoping for health."
