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Arizona Diamondbacks To Trade Miguel Montero?

By Ed Carroll

Jun 20, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero (26) talks with starting pitcher Josh Collmenter (55) during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 20, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero (26) talks with starting pitcher Josh Collmenter (55) during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Arizona Diamondbacks are looking to payroll flexibility, and depending on the MLB source, are either actively trying to trade catcher Miguel Montero or are willing to listen to offers.

The Arizona Diamondbacks could be willing to move catcher Miguel Montero, who has three years remaining on a five-year extension he signed in 2012, in an effort to free up some space on the payroll. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that rival clubs claim Arizona is shopping the 31-year old, but a Diamondbacks source claims the team is simply listening to offers.

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The difference between “shopping” and “listening to offers” can be negligible or massive, depending on who is making the statement, but it’s worth noting there’s a few roadblocks to moving Montero. He’s owed $40 million for the next three years, and has a lot of milage on his body already; Rosenthal notes that only two catchers have played more innings than Montero the past four seasons, and Montero leads baseball in games caught during that span. Arizona also is without a suitable replacement for Montero at the big-league level.

Montero has also seen an offensive decline, particularly in on base percentage, where after posting a .330 OBP or better from 2008 through 2012 (including a career-high .391 OBP in 2012), Montero has had two straight seasons of failing to hit the mark, and his OBP percentages in 2013 and 2014 were his worst since his rookie year. He’s still good for at least 10 home runs a season, but he’s probably best suited in a situation with a decent backup to help give him rest.

Montero does have value, particularly defensively, as he’s usually considered to be an excellent pitch-framer, although whether a team is willing to pay $40 million and talent to get Montero will remain the biggest question. A team that misses out on free agent catcher Russell Martin could be interested in Montero as a fallback option, so any noise regarding a trade might not happen until the free agent catchers land.

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