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Rockies Should Target World Series-Winning Lefty in Free Agency
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- Rockies Should Target World Series-Winning Lefty in Free Agency
(© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)
For the last four seasons, it has become commonplace for the Colorado Rockies to lose more than 100 games. However, there is a chance the team is finally going in the right direction.
After a disastrous 2025 season in which the Rockies lost a franchise-worst 143 games, they lifted themselves off the floor slightly and improved to 58-104 this season.
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There are exciting young players such as Hunter Goodman , Jake McCarthy, TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg constructing what may be an exciting and successful core, but Colorado is severely lacking in a key area: pitching.
The Rockies must address the egregious results they have been getting on the mound in recent years, and it is something they need to address this offseason if they are going to continue to improve. There are plenty of free agent pitchers, and one that they should consider pursuing is Texas Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery.
Montgomery's background
Montgomery, 33, has bounced around various teams, but he has nearly a decade of experience on Major League Baseball rosters.
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Montgomery had his most productive season in 2023, which he started with the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Rangers. After landing with Texas, Montgomery made 11 starts throughout the remainder of the regular season and went 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA.
He was also a strong contributor for Texas as it worked its way to and won the World Series in 2023. During that time, Montgomery appeared in six games, five of which were starts, and went 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA.
After his strong performance with the Rangers, Montgomery enjoyed a payday from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the form of a one-year, $25 million deal for the 2024 season. Montgomery appeared in 25 games (21 starts) for the Diamondbacks in 2024, and though he finished with a winning record (8-7), there was a significant decline in his ERA, which jumped to 6.23.
Then, in 2025, Montgomery missed the season due to Tommy John surgery, and Arizona traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers . Last November, Montgomery elected free agency, and he reunited with the Rangers on a one-year, $1.25 million deal.
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Due to recovery from Tommy John surgery, Montgomery was limited to 13 appearances this season, in which he went 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA.
Because of his age and injury history, there is a risk in signing Montgomery, but taking a flyer on him could work out well. His numbers in recent seasons have proven to be better than most of the pitchers the Rockies deployed to the mound this season.
Moreover, because Montgomery is not a bona fide ace, he could be acquired at a bargain. He is also a pitcher who can slot into the starting rotation or the bullpen.
For Colorado, a massive signing does not need to occur for the pitching staff to improve. In fact, the front office should allocate spending to overhaul the pitching staff as much as it can.
Therefore, this makes Montgomery an intriguing option.
