Acce s the Mets beat like never before Dont mi s Mike Pumas text me sages from Queens and beyond hes giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. The past 16 months play like payback for Jordan Montgomery. Like a 2.0 version of Damn Yankees, in which the lefty sells his soul , and in return gets comeuppance, controversy and pitching calamity. In shorthand: Montgomery oversold himself in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jersey free agency following his 2023 stretch run/postseason excellence with Texas; hoped to go back to the Rangers, who curtailed spending due to uncertainty about local TV revenue; lingered in the market before for one year with a player option for way le s than he anticipated; ; rushed spring training before joining the Diamondbacks three weeks into the season; pitched heavier than in the past and was both hurt and ineffective to the point where he was pulled from the rotation in August. Jordan Montgomery is pictured during the Diamondbacks game against the Phillies on June 21, 2024. Getty Images After Arizona lost tiebreakers to the Braves and Mets to mi s the playoffs, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick Neverthele s, Montgomery had pitched so poorly (6.23 ERA, worst in MLB by anyone with at least 100 innings) that he opted into his $22.5 million 2025 contract. That left him involved in scores of trade rumors. Nothing was consummated. So he is in spring training battling for the fifth starter spot with two players with far fewer accomplishments Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt. And just to show how devilish the details have been for the former Yankee, Montgomery was slowed by a left index finger injury, and when he was supposed to make his spring debut Friday, the game against the Angels was rained out. Jared Dudley Jersey