ATLANTA — Spencer Strider is one of baseball's most dominant pitchers.
That's not enough for him.
The Atlanta Braves ace is looking to make things even tougher on anyone who steps up against him in 2024.
Still miffed about the way last season ended, with another loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series, Strider spent spring training working on a curveball that could make his repertoire nastier than it already is.
“In sort of analyzing the way the season ended last year and the season as a whole, the outcome is that we were not — and myself in particular — we were not as good as we needed to be to complete our ultimate goal of winning the World Series,” Strider said. “You start addressing that by improving where you can. One of the ways I could improve was to try to adopt this curveball.”
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In his first full season as a starting pitcher, Strider certainly had plenty of reasons to be proud of himself. He was baseball's lone 20-game winner, finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting and broke Hall of Famer John Smoltz's franchise record for strikeouts in a season by punching out 281 hitters.
But Strider lost both starts in the NL Division Series against the rival Phillies, including the decisive Game 4 in raucous Philadelphia, where he surrendered three runs in 5 2/3 innings — all of them on solo homers.
While his career record in the regular season is a dazzling 37-10, Strider has yet to win in the postseason, also getting roughed up by the Phillies in his lone start of the 2022 NLDS.
“My job as a pitcher is to help us win games, win championships,” he said. “No one is giving you a trophy for winning 162 games. That's kind of the perspective I have. Because this is a team sport, my job is to contribute to the collective goal of trying to win a team trophy. That's the World Series.”
AP source: D-Backs add Montgomery
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks and pitcher Jordan Montgomery have agreed on a $25 million, one-year contract with a vesting option for 2025, according to a person familiar with the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the agreement was subject to a successful physical. The option for next year can become guaranteed to Montgomery if he makes at least 10 starts this season.
The addition bulks up the defending NL champions' rotation just days before the regular season begins. Montgomery should slide into the No. 3 or No. 4 spot once he's ready for game action, joining Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez, who signed an $80 million, four-year contract with the Diamondbacks earlier in the offseason.
ESPN first reported that Montgomery and the D-backs had agreed to a deal.
Montgomery, who turned 31 in December, went into free agency for the first time as a World Series champion. The 6-foot-6 left-hander played a significant role in Texas' first title after being traded at the deadline for the second year in a row.
While the Rangers surely would have liked to bring back Montgomery, they weren’t in position to pay the increased cost to re-sign him. He made $10 million last season.
Tovar, Rockies finalize 7-year, $63.5M deal
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and the Colorado Rockies finalized a $63.5 million, seven-year contract on Tuesday, a deal that includes a team option for 2031 that if exercised would boost the agreement to $84 million over eight seasons.
The 22-year-old gets a $1.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.5 million this season, $4 million in 2025, $5 million in 2026, $8 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028, $14 million in 2029 and $16 million in 2030. The Rockies' option is for $23 million with a $2.5 million buyout.
Tovar's deal supersedes a one-year contract agreed to Feb. 29 that called for a $745,000 salary while in the major leagues and $361,000 while in the minors.
“He has already proven he is one of the best shortstops in baseball, and we see him as a cornerstone of this franchise for years to come,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said in a statement.
Tovar, a Venezuelan native, made his big league debut on Sept. 22, 2022, and last year became the youngest Rockies player to start on opening day at 21 years, 240 days. He hit .253 with 15 homers, 73 RBIs, 11 stolen bases last season. He had 166 strikeouts and 25 walks. His .988 fielding percentage set a record for rookie shortstop, topping .987 by the Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki in 2007.
Tovar signed with the Rockies in 2017 for an $800,000 bonus.
Kemp agrees to $1M deal with Orioles
BALTIMORE — Infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, one week after the 32-year-old was released from a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.
Kent was 7 for 21 in eight spring training games with one homer and five RBIs. He batted .209 with five homers, 27 RBIs and a career-high 15 stolen bases last year in 124 games for Oakland. Kemp had 44 walks and scored 42 runs.
Kemp has a .238 career average with 35 homers and 184 RBIs in eight seasons with Houston (2016-19), the Chicago Cubs (2019) and the Athletics (2020-23).
His deal with the Reds had called for a $1.75 million salary if he had been added to the 40-man roster.
Baltimore opened a roster spot by designating infielder/outfielder Nick Maton for assignment.
Mets release Bickford
NEW YORK — Right-hander Phil Bickford was released by the New York Mets on Tuesday after clearing waivers, the second major league player cut loose this month after winning in salary arbitration.
The 28-year-old reliever will receive $217,742 in termination pay rather than the $900,000 salary chosen by a three-person panel over the Mets' $815,000 offer.
Under baseball's collective bargaining agreement, salaries determined in arbitration are not guaranteed. A player with a nonguaranteed contract receives 45 days' termination pay if released within 15 days of opening day and 30 days' pay if released earlier in spring training.
Third baseman J.D. Davis was released by San Francisco on March 11 after winning $6.9 million in arbitration and got $1,112,903 in termination pay from the Giants. He agreed five days later to a $2.5 million, one-year contract with Oakland that allows him to earn $1 million more in performance bonuses.
BRIEFLY
CARDINALS: St. Louis center fielder Dylan Carlson will begin the season on the injured list with a sprained left shoulder, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Tuesday.
TRADE: Left-hander T.J. McFarland was acquired by the Oakland Athletics from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash and was added to the 40-man roster.
BLUE JAYS: Toronto relievers Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson are expected to begin the season on the injured list in a significant blow to the back end of the team's bullpen.