The Arizona Diamondbacks were supposed to be riding the momentum of a 2023 World Series berth. Instead, they’re staring down the complete implosion of a pitching plan that once looked like a masterstroke—and now reads like a cautionary tale.
On Tuesday, Corbin Burnes was placed on the IL with right elbow inflammation, and the whispers around baseball are growing louder: it looks like Tommy John is coming. His velocity dipped, his MRI triggered a visit to Dr. Neal ElAttrache, and Jim Bowden put it bluntly in the Foul Territory” podcast:
“If Corbin Burnes needs Tommy John… their season’s over.”
But that’s not even the full disaster.
Just months earlier, the D-backs confirmed that Jordan Montgomery will undergo Tommy John surgery—the second of his career. That’s $232.5 million in starting pitchers now shelved indefinitely, with zero playoff innings thrown between them for Arizona.
The Montgomery Bet Ends in the Worst Way Possible
Montgomery’s time in Arizona is effectively over. After signing a one-year, $25 million deal just before Opening Day 2024, the southpaw missed all of spring training, struggled to find his footing, and ended the year with a 6.23 ERA. He was so ineffective that the D-backs tried to trade him over the winter. No takers.
He exercised his $22.5 million player option for 2025 to rebuild value, but that plan unraveled fast. A finger strain delayed his ramp-up, and aggressive offseason bullpens likely pushed his elbow over the edge.
“I was probably just trying to throw too hard too soon,” Montgomery admitted. “That’s never good for your arm.”
He’ll miss the entire 2025 season and likely part of 2026.
What was once seen as a budget-friendly coup—signing a World Series hero for one year—has become one of the biggest misfires in franchise history. Even owner Ken Kendrick admitted it was a disaster:
“A horrible decision… It’s our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint.”
Burnes Was the Savior. Now He Might Be the Final Straw.
While Montgomery was a question mark, Burnes was the anchor—the reigning ace, the $210 million insurance policy to keep Arizona’s 2024 window open. And for two months, it worked.
Burnes delivered a 2.66 ERA over 11 starts, looked like a Cy Young candidate again, and stabilized a rotation full of question marks until Sunday.
He exited after 4.2 innings, velocity down, elbow barking. The MRI was concerning enough to warrant a trip to one of baseball’s most feared names: Dr. ElAttrache, who doesn’t get called for minor tweaks.
If Burnes needs surgery, Arizona’s season isn’t just over—it’s detonated.
From World Series Contender to Deadline Seller
Bowden and Ken Rosenthal are already sounding the alarms. Without Burnes, the D-backs are headed for sell mode. And they should be.
Zac Gallen (5.54 ERA), Merrill Kelly (3.78 ERA), Josh Naylor (.297, 7 HR), and Shelby Miller (1.90 ERA) all become premium deadline chips. There’s no salvaging this year. Not with your top two starters in elbow rehab and your rotation built on duct tape.
Arizona’s payroll is at an all-time high. The results? A sub-.500 record, a busted rotation, and a $232.5 million reminder that spending doesn’t fix everything, especially when it’s spent late and in desperation.
A Blueprint That Crumbled in Less Than 12 Months
In October 2023, the Diamondbacks shocked the baseball world. By June 2025, their two most significant pitching investments are out for the year (Burnes is still looking for a second opinion), and their season is circling the drain.
Montgomery’s deal was a bust. Burnes may go down the same road. And now, what was supposed to be a win-now roster is quietly shifting into liquidation mode.
Arizona swung big. But with both arms now shelved the only thing left to throw in the towel.
Diamondbacks’ $232 Million Pitching Bet Just Hit Breaking Point