Royals, Mike Montgomery avoid arbitration with $3.1 million deal; Club non-tenders four at deadline
Kansas City Royals left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery has signed a one-year contract and thereby avoids the arbitration process. He will get a pay bump in 2020 with his new deal worth $3.1 million, according to a source.
Montgomery, 30, remains under club control through 2021, his final arbitration eligible season.
The Royals also announced they non-tendered four players including infielders Cheslor Cuthbert, Humberto Arteaga, Erick Mejia and right-handed pitcher Jesse Hahn.
All four players appeared in major-league games for the Royals this past season. Hahn, coming off of elbow surgery and an extensive rehab, made six appearances out of the bullpen in September. He spent most of the season on the 60-day injured list.
Monday marked the last day for teams to offer 2020 contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters. Cuthbert, Arteaga, Mejia and Hahn come off the club’s 40-man roster and the Royals now have 36 players on their Major League Reserve List.
By making that space, the Royals create room for potential Rule 5 Draft additions and/or free-agent signings. Also, the club intends to bring back outfielder Alex Gordon, but he has not been on their roster since the club declined his $23 million option in November.
Montgomery will go into spring training expected to be part of the rotation in 2020.
The Royals re-acquired Montgomery, who they originally drafted with the 36th overall pick in 2008, in a July 15 trade that sent catcher Martin Maldonado to the Chicago Cubs. Montgomery made $2.44 million last season.
Montgomery spent 2008-12 in the Royals farm system, then he was part of the trade that sent infielder Patrick Leonard, outfielder Wil Myers and pitcher Jake Odorizzi to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitchers Wade Davis and James Shields in December 2012.
From 2013-19, Montgomery pitched for the Rays (in the minors), Seattle Mariners (majors and minors) and Chicago Cubs. In 2016, Montgomery recorded the final out of Game 7 of the World Series, which clinched the Cubs’ first world championship in 108 years.
Last season, Montgomery pitched entirely in relief for the Cubs (20 appearances) prior to the trade to the Royals. The Royals, who acquired him with intentions of using him in the rotation, stretched him out in and allowed him to make 13 starts.
Montgomery went 2-7 with a 4.64 ERA, a 1.5 WHIP, 2.43-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents batted .315 against him.
He had strong stretches such as his seven shutout innings and 12-strikeout outing against the Detroit Tigers on the road as well as a 2.45 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and .271 batting average against in August (five starts).
The Royals may try to similarly sign AL home run champion Jorge Soler and avoid arbitration.
The outfielder/designated hitter’s contract, originally signed with the Cubs, allows him to opt for arbitration following a year in which he set a franchise single-season record 48 home runs and drove in a team-best 117 RBIs and played in all 162 games.
Soler is also a likely candidate for a long-term extension with him able to become a free agent following the 2021 season.
This story was originally published December 2, 2019 at 2:27 PM.
