Jesus Montero is not only the best prospect the Yankees have had in recent years, but also one of the most interesting in all of baseball.
Montero is a true catcher in name only, but has an elite level bat, offering the potential for a Mike Piazza-like career. Here is where Montero’s case starts to become very interesting. Unlike Piazza, who spent his entire career in the National League, Montero is currently with the Yankees, who, conveniently, employ the use of the DH, giving Montero an additional landing spot if his defense is as bad as many scouts suggest. However, using the DH spot as a place to store Montero damages his value, as it is much easier to find a DH than it is a catcher. Furthermore, the Yankees’ 2011 roster will include three position players over 35, and the 2012 roster will include at least two, both of whom (Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter) have dealt with nagging injuries and a decline in defensive performance in recent seasons, so leaving the DH spot open for their frequent usage as they continue to age will probably be a consideration. So, essentially, the Yankees’ option for him is to keep him behind the plate, at least for now, while he is young. Given that the only catchers the Yankees have under their control beyond this season are Russell Martin and Francisco Cervelli, one of whom has talent but injury woes and inconsistent past performance, and the other who simply isn’t good, there is definitely room for Montero there. The question is whether or not he will be tolerable defensively, and if he isn’t, then his future with New York becomes very doubtful moving forward. The team cannot move him to first base, where Mark Teixeira resides, and given his struggles as a catcher, it would probably take considerable effort for him to learn another corner position, which may not even ultimately be a successful transition.
The Yankees know he has an elite bat. They know they will need young hitters to supplement Robinson Cano as guys like Rodriguez and Jeter move closer to retirement and Nick Swisher and Teixeira exit their respective primes. One solution would be to trade him now; take advantage of his value by dangling him to add a frontline starting pitcher, but the problem lies in the fact that those guys simply are not available. Not now, anyway. It would probably be in the best interest of the Mariners from a purely baseball perspective to consider moving Felix Hernandez, but it doesn’t appear they will. The Dodgers seem unlikely to move Clayton Kershaw as well, and along with Hernandez, those are the type of young, elite pitchers the Yankees would need to acquire in order to justify trading Montero. Since those pitchers are unavailable, the Yankees only real option appears to be holding onto Montero for now, hoping he improves defensively and can take over as the team’s starting catcher at some point in 2011. If he doesn’t, his trade value will take a hit, along with his actual value to the team.
As a DH, Montero’s value is limited by the lack of defensive value, as well as the abundance of options to fill that spot, and as a catcher, it’s limited by his lack of defensive prowess. His trade value is limited by the above, as well as the lack of available options for trade. Essentially, Montero is one of the least valuable top prospects in baseball, at least until his defense can improve, if it ever does.
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