Jack Flaherty Seemingly Defends Dodgers Amid Criticism, Calls Out Teams Not Spending
Jan 21, 2025
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: Jack Flaherty #0 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during Game 5 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers have faced criticism for their exorbitant spending in free agency over the last few years, but one player believes other teams should be criticized for not spending more.
Former Dodgers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty took to social media to post a concise message defending the team:
A certain team is not ruining baseball A lot of other teams are just doing very little
Flaherty was traded to the Dodgers midway through the 2024 campaign and was a member of the team's World Series title win over the New York Yankees in five games. He's currently a free agent, but Los Angeles has already been busy this offseason.
The Dodgers most recently signed closer Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract. Prior to that, the team added starting pitcher Blake Snell, Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, outfielder Michael Conforto and Korean second baseman Hyeseong Kim, re-signed outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, and extended outfielder Tommy Edman.
The addition of Scott pushed Los Angeles' luxury tax payroll to an estimated $375 million, which would be $70 million more than the second-place Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees are the only other franchise with a projected luxury tax payroll of over $300 million.
The Dodgers' spending raises questions about the competitive balance in MLB, but as Flaherty pointed out, it's up to other teams to do what they can to keep up in the race for a World Series title.
MLB Fans Call Dodgers' Offseason Spending 'Unfair' After Sasaki, Scott Contracts
Jan 19, 2025
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Tanner Scott #66 of the San Diego Padres pitches in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game Three of the Division Series at Petco Park on October 08, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers are at it again.
After the Dodgers agreed to a deal with starting pitcher Rōki Sasaki on Friday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported Sunday they agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract with relief pitcher Tanner Scott.
ESPN's Jeff Passan noted Los Angeles' luxury-tax payroll for the upcoming campaign will exceed $375 million following the latest deal, which is approximately $70 million more than the Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia is the second-highest team in the league.
Social media had no shortage of reaction to yet another signing for the National League West club:
are you mad at the dodgers for doing too much or are you really mad that your team hasn't handed out a single major league contract this offseason pic.twitter.com/zKm9rRASAv
— WORLD SERIES CHAMPS little bullpen guy🩻⛓️👻 (@BoyslnBIue) January 19, 2025
many of you are mad at the Dodgers because this is what it looks like when the best team actually tries to get better instead of coasting off “flags fly forever,” a defense that nearly every World Series winner this century has employed in one manner or another
The Dodgers won the World Series last season and would have featured no shortage of star power in 2025 even without these additions thanks to the presence of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, among others.
But they never seem to rest on their laurels and responded this offseason by adding Sasaki, Scott, Blake Snell and Michael Conforto, among others.
The lineup and the pitching staff are loaded, and that's not even factoring in the potential return of Ohtani to the mound after he didn't pitch in 2024 because he was recovering from elbow surgery.
Anything but another dominant season and run toward a second straight World Series title would be a surprise given the overall star power and depth on the roster, and Scott is just the latest addition.
He was an All-Star last season when he split time with the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins. He posted a 1.75 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 72 innings, which was more of the same after he finished the 2023 season with a 2.31 ERA and 0.99 WHIP.
What's more, he was a weapon against Ohtani when the Dodgers faced him. Scott pitched four scoreless outings in the National League Division Series as a member of the Padres against Los Angeles last season and struck out the superstar all four times they faced each other.
Now Ohtani and the Dodgers don't have to worry about that since the southpaw is on their side.
Los Angeles is geared up for another championship pursuit, and the rest of baseball seems to be in catch-up mode when it comes to both star power and dollar expenditures.
Report: Dodgers' 2025 Luxury-Tax Payroll to Exceed $375M, Tops Phillies and Yankees
Jan 19, 2025
The Los Angeles Dodgers are continuing to flex their financial muscles after agreeing to a deal with 2024 All-Star reliever Tanner Scott.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Sunday the two sides agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract, adding the deal will take the Dodgers' luxury tax payroll past $375 million.
Per FanGraphs, that's nearly $70 million more than the next closest team, the Philadelphia Phillies ($308 million). The New York Yankees are the only other team projected to eclipse $300 million.
Competitive balance is always a concern in a league that doesn't have a firm salary cap, though the competitive balance tax has increasingly become a de facto cap.
It used to be that fans bemoaned how all of the best players ultimately found their way to the New York Yankees. Now, the Dodgers are occupying that position. They committed more than $1 billion in total to Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason, and this winter they've added Scott, Blake Snell, Rōki Sasaki and Michael Conforto.
The debate over whether Los Angeles' spending is good or bad for the overall health of baseball was already hitting a fever pitch. The deal with Scott will only heighten the discussion.
This is a situation where multiple things can be true.
There are numerous examples around MLB where ownership regimes aren't investing as much as they reasonably could. There's no reason why the Chicago Cubs or Boston Red Sox, two marquee franchises in big markets, should have a payroll in the middle of the league. The Cleveland Guardians are on track to spend around $91 million on the heels of an ALCS appearance, which is slightly less than their roster cost in 2001.
But asking owners to spend more elides how not all money is equal in MLB.
The San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays have both chased prized free agents in recent years, only to miss out almost every time. The Giants finally reeled in a big fish with shortstop Willy Adames, but few would consider him a true star in the traditional sense. The way in which the Blue Jays are getting mocked for failing to seal the deal makes you wonder why they bother trying anymore.
One important aspect also separates the Dodgers from the Yankees and what were perceived as the biggest spenders in generations past.
The Bronx Bombers ultimately operated at the whim of one man: George Steinbrenner. That worked to both their benefit and detriment. Sure, Steinbrenner wrote huge checks for proven talent, but his demeanor and antics behind the scenes brought plenty of drama that impacted the team's performance.
As many have pointed out, the seeds of the Yankees' 1990s dynasty were planted when Steinbrenner was banned and unable to have any input on baseball decisions.
Front offices don't run like that anymore.
Los Angeles has Andrew Friedman in charge. Friedman has combined the savvy from his Tampa Bay Rays days with the financial might of the Dodgers. New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, who's pretty front-facing and not shy about voicing his opinion, is willing to let president of baseball operations David Stearns run the show. Phillies principal owner John Middleton seems content to just sit back and write checks.
For all of their spending, there's no guarantee the Dodgers win the World Series in 2025 or any year after that. However, they're showing right now how it's simply impossible to match a franchise from a major market when it goes all in and does so efficiently.
Dodgers Rumors: Shohei Ohtani was 'Driving the Bus' in Rōki Sasaki Contract Pursuit
Jan 19, 2025
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers strikes out during the seventh inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani reportedly played a large role in starting pitcher Rōki Sasaki signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sasaki announced that he was agreeing to a contract with Los Angeles on Friday, receiving a $6.5 million signing bonus.
Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Tommy Edman were also present at the meeting with the 23-year-old (via Ardaya, Lin, Mooney, Rosenthal and Sammon). The San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays previously talked with Sasaki.
He shares a prior connection with Ohtani as well as Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as all three were teammates on the Team Japan roster that emerged victorious in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Sasaki has showcased his blazing fastball and impressive splitter with Nippon Professional Baseball's Chiba Lotte Marines over the past four seasons.
In 64 combined NPB appearances, he compiled a 2.10 ERA and 0.894 WHIP to go along with a 29-15 record. He also racked up 505 strikeouts compared to 88 walks in 394.2 innings of work.
Sasaki, Ohtani and Yamamoto are all expected to serve as key rotation pieces for the Dodgers in 2025 as they look to defend their World Series title. Ohtani was limited to hitting in 2024, but he's expected to take the mound again during the 2025 season.
Even though he was only available at the plate, the 30-year-old still won his third MVP award. He recorded 38 doubles, 54 home runs, 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases while posting a .310/.390/.646 slash line.
Ohtani's presence helped Los Angeles capture a championship, and he's also helped the Dodgers' free-agency pursuits.
Rōki Sasaki Rumors: Padres Were Prepared to Offer $10M Contract Before Dodgers Deal
Jan 19, 2025
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan pitches during the 2023 World Baseball Classic Semifinal game against Team Mexico at loanDepot Park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
Rōki Sasaki may have taken a pay cut in order to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"The Padres told Sasaki's group that they were prepared to trade to max out their bonus pool, according to a league source, and offer the Japanese pitcher the entire sum, a little more than $10 million," The Athletic reporters wrote.
Sasaki will join MLB in 2025 after posting a career 2.10 ERA in four seasons with Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines.
He announced Saturday on social media that he was signing with the Dodgers. The other finalists to sign him were the Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
His team had previously informed the New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs he would sign elsewhere, according to multiple reports (h/t MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan.)
According to Ardaya, Lin, Mooney, Rosenthal and Sammon, the contest between the final clubs "went up to the final hours before Sasaki announced his decision on Instagram."
The Blue Jays added $2 million to the total they could offer Sasaki by making a trade with the Cleveland Guardians that sent outfielder Myles Straw to Toronto, per ESPN.
The deal required the Blue Jays take on $11.8 million of Straw's contract, but expanded the team's international signing bonus pool to about $8.3 million, according to ESPN.
Because the Blue Jays had not signed any other players since the window opened, they could have used that total on Sasaki. Because of MLB signing rules, the pitcher's initial contract will be limited to the size of the team's bonus pool plus up to 60 percent of the total acquired through trades.
As noted by the Associated Press, the Dodgers had the 29th-largest bonus pool available in MLB with about $5.1 million available.
According to The Athletic reporters, the difference between the offers came down at least in part to "stability... particularly as a contrast to the ongoing legal battle surrounding the rival Padres' ownership group."
While the legal battle over ownership of the Padres continues, Sasaki will join countrymen Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in their preparation for another run at the World Series in 2025.
Rōki Sasaki Evaluated by MLB Execs, Scouts After Dodgers Contract in Free Agency
Jan 18, 2025
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan pitches in the first inning against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Now that Rōki Sasaki has officially made his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the focus can turn to what he will bring to the table for the reigning World Series champions.
Fans in North America have had some exposure to Sasaki's skill set when he played for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
While the hype around Sasaki is off the charts and deserved, scouts and executives around MLB who spoke to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez do caution that it will take time for him to reach his full potential.
The fastball, in particular, has been a question mark for Sasaki as he prepares to go up against MLB hitters. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo noted his heater averaged 96.8 mph in 2024, which would have ranked third among all big-league pitchers, but it was also a drop of two miles per hour from the previous season.
Scouts and executives told Gonzalez some of the dip could be attributed to shoulder fatigue Sasaki had at one point last season, but the shape of the pitch raises some red flags because it is described as "flat."
Radar-gun readings are fun when you see triple-digits pop up, but there's a reason that pitchers who don't have good movement on the pitch can get hit around.
Carlos Rodón ranked 15th among all qualified starters in average fastball velocity last season (95.4 mph), but opponents hit .262 and slugged .514 against the pitch. There was a time when his heater was regarded as the most valuable pitch in all of MLB.
While there are some concerns about Sasaki's fastball early in his career, the one thing everyone agreed on was that his splitter is going to play right away.
Gonzalez noted one scout described the pitch as "f--king nasty," with evaluators frequently giving it an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale. For perspective, Juan Soto is an 80-grade hitter; Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani have 80-grade power.
"It might be the best secondary pitch in the world," an executive told Gonzalez about Sasaki's splitter. This is where the fastball really comes into play because if he can get ahead of opposing hitters with the old number one, good luck trying to protect with two strikes when he drops the splitter.
James Dykstra, who played with Sasaki on the Chiba Lotte Marines last season, called his splitter the "national pitch" while speaking to Mayo.
"I stood behind the catcher in his bullpen early in Spring Training and said 'Oh my!'" Dykstra said. "I knew how good it was in the World Baseball Classic and it even exceeded my expectations. It's probably one of the best splitters I've ever seen."
One big reason the Dodgers are a good fit for Sasaki is because of the depth they have in the rotation. This is by design because general manager Brandon Gomes said in November their plan for 2025 was to have a six-man rotation.
They currently have Sasaki, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May projected to be in the opening day rotation. That doesn't include Ohtani, who won't be ready to pitch at the start of the season. Clayton Kershaw has also said he's playing in 2025, and there's nothing to suggest it won't be for the Dodgers.
One scout explained to Gonzalez that Sasaki needs to be in a situation early in his MLB career that will allow him to build up his workload.
"That's been one constant throughout his career—as good as he's been, as much as he's looked like one of the best pitchers in the world, he has not handled a workload we're accustomed to seeing from major league starters," the scout said.
Sasaki didn't throw more than 129.1 innings in any of his four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines.
As long as Sasaki can weather some initial growing pains because the quality of hitting he will be facing in MLB is going to be better than it was in NPB, there's nothing to suggest he won't develop into a frontline starter very soon.
Considering Sasaki is only six months older than 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, he's got plenty of time to reach his ceiling.
Photo: Magic Johnson Gifts Rōki Sasaki Lakers Jersey After Signing Dodgers Contract
Jan 18, 2025
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan pitches during the 2023 World Baseball Classic Semifinal game against Team Mexico at loanDepot Park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
Magic Johnson wasted no time in making Rōki Sasaki feel welcome in Los Angeles after the 23-year-old pitching phenom agreed to a deal with the Dodgers.
Johnson, who is part of the Dodgers' ownership group, gifted Sasaki with an autographed No. 32 Lakers jersey.
Welcome to Los Angeles and the World Champion Los Angeles @Dodgers Roki Sasaki! It’s a great day to be a Dodger fan! 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/UtExlQEmP0
Sasaki announced Friday on Instagram that he was signing with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers made two separate trades with the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds on Friday to bring in additional international bonus pool money.
Sources: The Dodgers traded OF Arnaldo Lantigua to the Cincinnati Reds and received over $1 million in international signing bonus pool money.
Those deals allowed the Dodgers, who entered the international free-agent period with $5.1 million available, to give Sasaki a $6.5 million signing bonus, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
Adding Sasaki is a cherry on top of the already ridiculously-loaded sundae that is the Dodgers' roster. They started free agency by signing Blake Snell to give them another frontline starter.
Los Angeles is going into 2025 with a rotation that will include Sasaki, Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May. Shohei Ohtani will be in that group at some point, but the Dodgers have already said he won't be ready to pitch at the start of the regular season.
That doesn't even include the lineup with Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy.
It's rare for a team that just won the World Series to get significantly better in the offseason, but the Dodgers appear to have done that by adding arguably the two best pitchers available to their staff.
Dodgers' Updated Payroll, Rotation After Rōki Sasaki's Reported $6.5M Contract
Jan 18, 2025
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan pitches during the 2023 World Baseball Classic Semifinal game against Team Mexico at loanDepot Park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
Starting pitcher Rōki Sasaki announced his intention to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in an Instagram post on Friday.
According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Sasaki will receive a $6.5 million signing bonus from the Dodgers. Los Angeles traded Dylan Campbell to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for international bonus pool space on Friday, per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.
The reigning World Series champions will be adding another key piece to their pitching staff after previously signing two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract on Nov. 26.
Here's how Los Angeles' 2025 rotation will look.
Dodgers 2025 projected starting rotation
Shohei Ohtani
Blake Snell
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Tyler Glasnow
Rōki Sasaki
The Dodgers had $272.8 million allocated to their 2025 payroll and $276 million in projected payroll allocations prior to adding Sasaki, via Spotrac.
The right-hander is coming off another impressive season with NPB's Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024, finishing with a 10-5 record. He also compiled a 2.35 ERA and 1.036 WHIP in 18 appearances, striking out 129 batters while allowing a mere 32 walks in 111 innings of work.
Sasaki already has some familiarity with a few other members of Los Angeles' projected rotation, as he was teammates with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the Team Japan roster that won the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The 23-year-old looked sharp during the WBC, maintaining a 3.52 ERA with 11 strikeouts compared to two walks in 7.2 innings across two starts.
Mutual interest between Sasaki and the Dodgers was evident throughout the offseason. On Dec. 5, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that there was "widespread industry belief" the pitcher had already picked a team that was "most likely" the Dodgers.
Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani didn't take the mound in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery, but he's expected to return during the 2025 season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn't envision him being ready by Opening Day, though (via MLB.com's Sonja Chen).
Ohtani should immediately headline Los Angeles' rotation when healthy, as the three-time MVP owns a career 3.01 ERA to go along with a 38-19 record.
Snell posted a 3.12 ERA and 1.048 WHIP in 20 starts with the San Francisco Giants in 2024, while Yamamoto racked up 105 strikeouts in 90 innings during his inaugural season in the majors.
As the Dodgers attempt to become the first team to win consecutive World Series titles since 2000, they added another talented starter to their loaded rotation on Friday.
MLB News: Rōki Sasaki Reportedly Out on Padres Contract amid Dodgers Rumors
Jan 17, 2025
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 20: Roki Sasaki #14 of Team Japan pitches during the 2023 World Baseball Classic Semifinal game against Team Mexico at loanDepot Park on March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
The race to sign Rōki Sasaki appears to be down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.
Per MLB insider Francys Romero, the San Diego Padres are no longer in the Sasaki sweepstakes and will begin signing other international free agents, including Jhoan De La Cruz and Carlos Alvarez, on Friday.
The Athletic's Will Sammon also reported Alvarez is going to sign with the Padres after he started to pursue other opportunities while San Diego waited for Sasaki to make a decision.
Sasaki has until Jan. 23 to make a decision. Otherwise, his posting window will expire, and he will be returned to the Chiba Lotte Marines for the 2024 season. No one expects the window to close without him signing with an MLB club.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Monday that the Padres, Dodgers and Blue Jays were the three finalists for Sasaki after several clubs, including the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs, were told they were no longer in the running.
Wednesday marked another pivotal time for seeing which teams thought they still had a chance at Sasaki because it marked the first day of MLB's 2025 international signing period.
Since Sasaki is subject to international singing rules, the most he could sign for is determined by the bonus pool for each individual team.
The difference in money between the three finalists is not significant. San Diego and Toronto both entered the international signing period with $6.3 million to spend, while the Dodgers are at $5.1 million.
Per the international signing tracker from Ben Badler of Baseball America, the Dodgers and Blue Jays were the only teams as of Friday that had yet to agree to any deals.
The Dodgers have long been considered favorites to sign Sasaki. The Padres' chance to play spoiler was built largely on Yu Darvish being a revered figure among Japanese pitchers and having previously served as a mentor to Sasaki when they were teammates in the 2023 World Baseball Classic that Japan won.
Toronto's lingering presence is certainly interesting, especially for a franchise that has made strong runs at Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto in free agency.
Ultimately, though, it would feel like a huge upset at this point if Sasaki doesn't join a loaded Dodgers roster that already brought in Blake Snell as a free agent to upgrade the pitching staff in 2025.
MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees' Stroman, D-Backs' Montgomery Expected to Move by Teams
Jan 16, 2025
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 25: Marcus Stroman #0 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
A pair of veteran starting pitchers could be on the move this offseason.
Per ESPN's Buster Olney, "there is an assumption among other teams" that the New York Yankees want to move Marcus Stroman while the Arizona Diamondbacks want to trade Jordan Montgomery.
"There is an assumption among other teams that Jordan Montgomery and Marcus Stroman will move at some point, but there are execs who believe that won't happen until the Diamondbacks and Yankees agree to swallow a lot of money to make a deal happen," Olney wrote.
As Olney noted, both teams would likely need to eat some of their players' contracts in order to find a trade for them.
Stroman's vesting option makes him a hard sell as he'll have a player option to make $18.3 million next year if he pitches 140 innings in 2025. He pitched 154.2 innings for the Yankees last year.
According to Olney, one evaluator compared the two pitchers to Martin Perez, who signed with the Chicago White Sox for $5 million earlier this month. Stroman is slated to make $18.3 million in 2025 and could make the same figure in 2026 if he reaches 140 innings. Montgomery is set to earn $22.5 million this year before becoming a free agent in 2026.
Stroman, 33, recorded 113 strikeouts with a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP last season. He was not on the Yankees' roster in the AL Division Series and did not make any appearances in the postseason as New York reached the World Series.
Stroman was a valuable contributor during the regular season and manager Aaron Boone even said in December that he "was one of the reasons we were able to win the division and get through the playoffs," per The Athletic's Brendan Kuty.
As much as the Yankees could use Stroman in case their rotation gets hit with injuries, trading him and saving money to avoid a major luxury tax penalty might be worth it.
Montgomery, in his first season with the Diamondbacks, made 25 appearances, recording the second-highest ERA of his career at 6.23 and the second-worst WHIP of his career at 1.65.
There's always a chance Montgomery could rebound in 2025, but for such a high price point, Arizona might not want to take the risk of another disastrous season.
