At long last, the Jordan Montgomery free agent saga has reached its conclusion.

According to multiple reports, the left-hander has agreed to a one-year, $25 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal also reportedly includes a vesting player option for a second year that would be worth another $25 million if exercised.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the signing.

BREAKING: Left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a free agent deal, pending physical, a source tells ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2024

Entering the offseason Montgomery was regarded as one of the top free agent starters available and was widely expected to land a lucrative long-term contract. The 31-year-old was coming off an excellent season in which he posted a 3.20 ERA over 188.2 innings split between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, he also played an integral role in leading the Rangers to their first World Series championship in franchise history.

Despite his impressive 2023 and a track record that includes three straight seasons with 30 or more starts, Montgomery’s market never fully materialized. He was among four prominent free agents, all represented by agent Scott Boras, who remained unsigned deep into the spring, and all four wound up settling for short-term deals that will allow them to re-enter the free agent market in the near future.

His signing with Arizona should also provide a measure of closure to the Red Sox offseason.

From the beginning Montgomery was viewed across the industry as an obvious fit for Boston. He was a proven workhorse who could bring badly needed stability to the Red Sox rotation, and he was also a proven championship performer, the kind who could help elevate a club that’s fallen into the basement in recent years.

Despite the seeming match, the Red Sox and Montgomery were never able to line up on a deal, and now he’ll bolster a Diamondbacks rotation that should rank among the best in the game with Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and eventually Eduardo Rodriguez, who Arizona also added this winter but who will open the season on the injured list.

The Red Sox are instead counting on a largely homegrown group that includes Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck, with newcomer Lucas Giolito originally envisioned to play a role as well before going down with a season-ending elbow injury.