New York Yankees’ Actions Exposing the Jesus Montero Fraud
August 13, 2011 · Larry Barnes · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
If you listen to the propaganda spewed by the New York Yankees, Jesus Montero is a catcher who is constantly improving defensively and who will be some combination of Mike Piazza and Albert Pujols with a bat in his hands.
That’s if you listen to what they say. But actions speak louder than words, and if you follow their actions (and the reactions of numerous other teams/scouts), you come up with a far different story on Montero.
Start with Montero’s defense. The Yankees have insisted repeatedly over the past few years that he has made significant improvement defensively. As one noted baseball writer Tweeted several months ago, “If his defense had improved half as often as the Yankees claim it has, Jesus Montero would be Johnny Bench by now.”
Another note on Montero’s “improving defense.” At least one scout from another team said he “views Montero as NON-athlete.”
How do other clubs view Montero? Start with the Colorado Rockies, who scouted Montero when he was being discussed in a possible trade to bring Ubaldo Jimenez to the Yankees. The Rockies viewed Montero as a first baseman, not a catcher, and said he would never be the centerpiece of a deal involving Jimenez.
It’s also worth noting that the Yankees were, according to multiple reports, willing to trade Montero for Jimenez—a pitcher about whom they claim to have numerous questions.
In the past, when I’ve noted that the Yankees seem more than willing to trade Montero, the defenders have screamed back: “Yeah! For Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay!” Fair enough. But a few weeks ago the Yankees were willing to part with him for Jimenez, too.
Did I mention Jimenez is a guy the Yankees and many others have serious questions about? Yet Cashman was still willing to put Montero in that deal. He wouldn’t consider Betances, Banuelos or Nova. And he wouldn’t put Nunez in a deal for Lee last year. But Montero is always there to be had in growing list of trades.
And yet he never goes anywhere. The other team always finds prospects they like better someplace else.
Cleveland could have had Montero and more for Lee. They preferred a deal headed by Carlos Carrasco.
Toronto could have had Montero and a LOT more for Halladay. They preferred Kyle Drabek.
Philadelphia could have had Montero and more for Lee. They preferred a boatload of crap from Seattle.
Seattle could have had Montero and more for Lee. They preferred Justin Smoak.
And now Colorado finds something in Cleveland’s minor league system they prefer to the guy who has been the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect for about three years running.
The Yankees keep trying to trade the guy they insist they love, and more and more teams keep finding options they find more attractive than the guy who is supposed to be God’s gift to baseball. That should tell you something.
And please spare us the “Toronto and Philly didn’t want Lee to end up with the Yankees” nonsense. Do you REALLY think if those franchises viewed Montero as the second coming of Albert Pujols, they would have passed on him just to keep Lee out of New York for 12 to 18 months?
But that’s what other teams think of Montero. Let’s take a closer look—again, based on actions, not words—at the Yankees’ opinion of Jesus Montero.
Let’s start in spring training when Montero, following a significant injury to Francisco Cervelli, was publicly handed an open invitation to take a major league job. He fell flat on his face and was beaten out by Gustavo Molina.
And now that Montero has hit his stride at Triple-A Scranton? Why isn’t he in New York?
Two reasons. Francisco Cervelli and Jorge Posada.
Think about that for a second…
Jorge Posada lost his catching job because his defense is so horrific, and then lost his DH job because his offense was so pathetic. He can’t be used as a defensive replacement, and you’d never use to pinch hit for anybody, either.
But the Yankees would rather have Posada rot on the bench and play with a 24-man roster than open a spot for the great and powerful Jesus Montero? Seems odd.
Then there’s Francisco Cervelli. We’ve been working on it for three months and still can’t figure out whether Cervelli is worse offensively or defensively. He doesn’t hit much at all (either for average or power), doesn’t block balls in the dirt and he can’t throw. And yet this guy, too, is keeping Montero in the bus leagues.
The Yankees say they love Jesus Montero. Their actions say something VERY different.
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