Cubs designate Miguel Montero for assignment following comments

The Chicago Cubs have designated catcher Miguel Montero for assignment, following his recent comments toward Jake Arrieta.

If you didn’t think the Chicago Cubs were serious about taking another shot at history, see what happens when things get heated in the locker room. Miguel Montero found out the hard way on Wednesday, when he was designated for assignment.

This comes a day after blaming Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases by the Washington Nationals. The Cubs had issues keeping the Nationals in check, and dropped Tuesday night’s meeting. Below is a brief excerpt of what he had to say to the media after the game, and he didn’t sugarcoat his feelings.

"It really sucked because the stolen bases go on me. When you really look at it, the pitcher doesn’t give me any time. It’s like, “Oh yeah, Miggy can’t throw anybody out.” Yea, but my pitchers don’t hold anybody on."

His words cut deep enough that Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein wanted no part of it. He called Montero on Wednesday and told him what would happen. The Cubs haven’t officially announced the move, but he took to his Twitter page to thank the city of Chicago for his time with the club.

Montero also noted that he spoke with Arrieta after the game and after his comments to the media. He noted that he apologized to the pitcher for his comments, and that Arrieta actually agreed with him on not being able to hold the runners.

Anthony Rizzo spoke out against Montero, when he learned about what was said. Rizzo blasted the catcher and said, “We have a guy (Wilson Contreras) who throws out anyone who steals, and he has Jon Lester who doesn’t throw over.”

This was Montero’s third season with the Cubs. He was dealt to Chicago in 2014 by the Arizona Diamondbacks, in a trade that sent a pair of minor leaguers to Arizona. This season, he has posted just 28 hits in 112 plate appearances.

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In his place, the Cubs have called up rising star Victor Caratini from Triple A-Iowa. Caratini has posted a .343 average with the Iowa Cubs, with 20 doubles in 68 games. It was seemingly a matter of time before he got a call up, and this is a golden opportunity to cash in on an unfortunate situation.