Trade Speculation Surrounds Jordan Montgomery and Cody Bellinger

This offseason has seen considerable trade speculation around the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Jordan Montgomery and the Chicago Cubs’ Cody Bellinger. Both players carry significant salaries and appear to be somewhat imperfect fits on their current rosters. These factors have seemingly led to a rather muted trade market for either player. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Arizona attempted to engage the Cubs in a swap involving Montgomery and Bellinger. Whether this proposal was a straightforward one-for-one deal or involved additional players remains unclear, as the Cubs reportedly did not show much interest.


Cody Bellinger opted not to exercise his opt-out clause after a middling 2024 season, keeping him with the Cubs through the 2026 season with $52.5 million in remaining salary. This includes $27.5 million for 2025, followed by an option for Bellinger to opt-out in 2026 with a $2.5 million buyout or remain for $25 million.


Similarly, Jordan Montgomery chose to stay in the final year of his two-year contract with the Diamondbacks, securing $22.5 million for the 2025 season. Despite a challenging 2024 season marked by a 6.23 ERA over 117 innings, Montgomery stayed, likely influenced by missing Spring Training and an extended free agency period.

In an October radio interview, D’Backs owner Ken Kendrick was openly critical of Montgomery’s signing, perhaps in an attempt to encourage Montgomery to opt out and seek opportunities elsewhere. However, this strategy did not succeed, and the Diamondbacks are reportedly "shopping [Montgomery] everywhere" to offload his salary, according to Nightengale.


As the offseason continues, it remains to be seen whether either player will find a new home or if their respective teams will find a way to maximize their value.