Could Nationals toss $22.5 million at veteran reclamation project?

It's been a lousy run for the Washington Nationals since the team won the 2019 World Series. Since going all-in to win the Major League Baseball championship that season, the Nationals have shed salary the way a golden retriever sheds fur.

Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Juan Soto, and Anthony Rendon all headed out for greener pastures — though not bringing back Rendon turned out to be a win. Washington promptly dropped to the basement of the National League East and has remained at or near the foot of the division ever since.

However, the Nationals appear to have a heartbeat again, however faint. There's little chance that Washington will challenge the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, or Atlanta Braves in the division this year. Still, the team figures to be at least moderately competitive. 

Mike Axisa of CBS Sports has noted that the Nationals are a prospective fit for beleaguered Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who all but hurled his way out of any future plans in the desert last season. 

Montgomery, an eight-year Major League Baseball veteran, was hastily signed to a one-year, $25 million contract last March on the eve of the 2024 season. The contract included a $22.5 million player option for 2025. 

With Montgomery, whose ERA rose above 4.00 just once in a season where he made at least ten starts, coming off of an 8-7 campaign with a stratospheric 6.23 ERA, it would be stunning if he were not to pick up his player option for 2025 — no matter how reviled he is in Phoenix — given he is most certainly not signing a free agent deal for anything approaching that value this winter.

The Diamondbacks would likely near-give Montgomery away to a team that would take on his 2025 salary, and as Axisa notes, the Nationals' estimated payroll for next season is $23 million less than 2024. 

Based on his career numbers (46-41, 4.03 ERA) Montgomery figures to be a better pitcher this coming season than he was last year — it would be hard to be worse — he could provide Washington with innings for a season as the young team continues to mature without costing the Nats any of their prized youngsters.

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