The Milwaukee Brewers added a reliable late-game arm at the trade deadline in veteran right-hander Shelby Miller. However, they also inherited some of the infamous one-year, $25 million contract starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks last offseason. You must give to get, which the two-time defending National League Central champions did with money, but they weren't the only beneficiaries of the move.
Montgomery is recovering from undergoing Tommy John surgery in April and won't take the mound for the Brewers (or anyone) this season. His absence will likely even spill deep into the 2026 MLB campaign. Nonetheless, Arizona rerouting him reportedly triggered a $500,000 bonus, which he'll receive to continue rehabbing in Milwaukee.
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Injured Jordan Montgomery secures nice bonus after Diamondbacks trade him to Brewers
What was a pure salary dump for the Diamondbacks turned out to be a nice payday for Montgomery. His outlook doesn't change; regardless, he's destined for unrestricted free agency this winter. But the southpaw will now collect some additional funds until then, thanks to Arizona's desire to shed payroll.
Not only did Montgomery get a generous raise, but he and his extra six figures also landed in a more competitive environment in Milwaukee. The Brewers have been the hottest team in baseball for several months following a slow start to the year. Falling four games below .500 after a loss to the Minnesota Twins on May 17, they're now vying for the best record in the Majors. It's been a dramatic turnaround, vaulting them to the shortlist of legitimate World Series contenders.
There's been no indication that the Brewers want to retain Montgomery, nor do we know if he wants to stick around. This at least presents an opportunity for the two sides to explore the possibility of continuing their partnership beyond 2025. That's a nice consolation prize to an already solid reward for the 32-year-old.
Milwaukee didn't give up anything for Montgomery and Miller. They agreed to send "a player to be named later" to the D-backs for them. All it took was them taking on roughly $2 million of the $7.5 million the former is still owed, according to The Athletic ($).