Jordan Montgomery has reached an agreement to return to the Texas Rangers on a one-year contract.

The MLB official site reports that the Texas Rangers are about to reconnect with a 2023 World Series champion. Sources including Evan Grant from the Dallas Morning News and MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reveal that the team has agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million deal with left-hander Jordan Montgomery, although the Rangers have yet to officially confirm the transaction.

Montgomery is expected to miss the start of the season as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery performed this past April. This marks the second time in his career he has undergone the procedure, the first being in 2018 during his second major league season.

This signing represents the Rangers’ second move this offseason to strengthen their already strong pitching staff, following last month’s trade acquisition of MacKenzie Gore.

Before his final appearance in 2024, Montgomery maintained steady performance from 2021 through 2023, serving as a dependable starter though never quite dominant. He started at least 30 games each season, with earned run averages under 4.00 and very similar Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) numbers of 3.69, 3.61, and 3.56 respectively.

The 2023 season was Montgomery’s best to date, as he posted a 3.20 ERA over 32 starts and 188.2 innings pitched, achieving a career-high ERA+ of 136. Yet what truly made that year memorable for the lefty was his postseason performance with the Rangers, having been traded midseason from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Montgomery first threw seven scoreless innings in the American League Wild Card Series opener against the Rays, then about two weeks later delivered 6.1 shutout innings in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series versus the Houston Astros. That October, he appeared six times (five starts), compiling a 3-1 record with a 2.90 ERA, helping the Rangers secure their first-ever World Series title.

Shortly after the 2024 season opener, Montgomery signed a one-year contract with the Diamondbacks that included a player option, but he struggled significantly in Arizona. Over 117 innings pitched, his ERA soared to 6.23, and his strikeout rate dropped from 21.4% the previous year to 15.6%. His most frequently used pitch, the sinker, lost about 1.5 mph in velocity compared to 2023 and was heavily hit by opponents, who posted a .376 batting average and .582 slugging percentage against it.

After exercising his player option, Montgomery hoped to rebound with the Diamondbacks in 2025 but suffered left arm pain during spring training and was ultimately diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. In the latter half of last season, he was traded alongside reliever Shelby Miller to the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers on the trade deadline day.

Montgomery turned 33 last December and was drafted by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2014 draft out of the University of South Carolina. He showed solid performance in his rookie 2017 season, pitching 155.1 innings over 29 starts with a 3.88 ERA. After six seasons with the Yankees, he was traded mid-2022 to the Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader. Montgomery started 32 games for St. Louis with a 3.31 ERA before being sent to the Rangers.