New York Yankees News & Notes - 3/30/2011: Jesus Montero is so hyped he's already a bust

by 3460kuri on Mar 30, 2011 7:00 AM EDT in New York Yankees News

Wait - what?

It is way too early, of course, to pronounce Jesus Montero a bust, or to declare that the New York Yankees' belief in his potential....was a delusion exposed by the first light of spring....(b)ut there is no other way to look at his demotion on Monday back to Triple-A...as anything but a blown opportunity.

So he's not a bust....but he's a bust?

Sorry, but I'm pretty sure that the Yankees' signing of Russel Martin meant that Montero's odds of breaking camp with the big league team were pretty slim. And it makes sense. They had a decent starter, and a decent backup (Cervelli), so why not delay his arbitration clock and the hype monster? With any luck, both Montero and the team will start strong, leading to a call-up sometime in May or June accompanied by reasonable expectations and good feelings.

Kind of like how it worked out with Joba Chamberlain.....

This is a bit long, but our friends over at The Good Phight have a nice primer on one of the little-known pioneers of sabermetrics....Branch Rickey?
Mike Mussina is throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day, but why stop there? Moose is three years removed from a 4.4 WAR season, the best by a non-Sabathia Yankee in about 5 years.
Bingo is for your grandma, so we have a better alternative. Don't forget to weigh in.

Tweet Comment 34 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

based on his 2010 season, you know who has also proven to be a bust? Derek Jeter.

Guess who had a better spring, Cano or Montero? Montero. Guess Cano’s a bust too. Also he hit better than Andruw Jones and Gustavo Molina (no shit) and was comparable to Posada and Swisher and that’s just the guys who made the team!

by jetanumba2 on Mar 30, 2011 7:41 AM EDT reply actions

.....

Proven players can’t be busts…..

by xs0ng on Mar 30, 2011 7:46 AM EDT up reply actions

and unproven players that never got a chance to prove themselves can?

by jetanumba2 on Mar 30, 2011 7:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Wallace Matthews is a lingering stench of a Met fan

and the Yankees are not the Mets. I’m not sure how many people honestly felt that Montero was starting the season with the Yanks, but apparently Wallace was one of them…and he can go piss up a rope.

Montero’s where he belongs. Getting every day ABs and working on his game calling skills. He wasn’t ready to be the Yanks every day catcher this season, pretty sure most of us knew that regardless of his spring performance.

This is not a missed opportunity. There really was never an opportunity to miss since the job was really never his to get, at least this year.

Next year this happens, then maybe the idea is a thought…still not there yet anyway.

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Mar 30, 2011 8:02 AM EDT reply actions

but he played well enough to make the team

His spring wasn’t really a disappointment, considering well, it’s just the spring!

by jetanumba2 on Mar 30, 2011 8:19 AM EDT up reply actions

not saying he didn't play well enough to make the team

I don’t even care if he batted 1.000. He still probably should not be on the Yanks since Russel Martin is the starter.

Even if we needed a DH, I still wouldn’t keep him on the roster. He’s the Yanks future catcher. That, is all.

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Mar 30, 2011 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree

Cervelli getting hurt just got everyone’s hopes up

by jetanumba2 on Mar 30, 2011 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Yep I felt the same way...

I also felt everyone thought Jeter was to young and I believe Tony Fernandez was supposed to be the starter that year. Screw the arbitration BS. Do you think the Yankees really lose sleep over that? Oh well, hopefully he comes up soon.

by Kansas Yankee on Mar 30, 2011 10:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Nope

Jeter was supposed to be the starter in 1995, but due to injury Fernandez was brought in as a stop gap.

The Yankees had projected Jeter as their starting shortstop for the 1995 season, but when he suffered a minor injury in the Arizona Fall League, the Yankees signed Tony Fernández to a two-year contract to play shortstop and kept Jeter in Triple-A.19 The Yankees reportedly offered Jeter the opportunity to work out with the replacement players in Spring Training prior to the 1995 season, but he declined to cross the picket line.20

Despite the presence of Fernández on the roster, new Yankees manager Joe Torre announced that Jeter would be the starting shortstop in 1996.22 He started on Opening Day of the 1996 season as the starting shortstop (the first Yankee rookie since Tom Tresh in 1962 to do so) and hit his first major-league home run on that day

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Mar 31, 2011 5:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Wallace Matthews is the square of toilet paper that gets stuck to your shoe on the way out of the bathroom

Nothing more

"Game's the same, just got more fierce." ~ Slim Charles

by Captain_Mick on Mar 30, 2011 8:14 AM EDT reply actions

I think you're being generous there

by 3460kuri on Mar 30, 2011 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions

It may or may not feature a poo smudge

"Game's the same, just got more fierce." ~ Slim Charles

by Captain_Mick on Mar 30, 2011 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions

There you go.

by 3460kuri on Mar 30, 2011 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

During the exhibition season, it is customary for sportswriters to try out new bits of stupidity to see if they will work during the season.

Sort of like Phil Hughes and his changeup. Wallace Matthews, or Matthew Wallace, or maybe both of them are merely trying to get new lines of idiocy flowing. Once the season starts, he will revert to his regular more proven drivel that has gotten him where he is today.

Mussina could probably still be more consistently effective than AJ Burnett or Freddy Garcia. At least than Burnett.

by designatedquitter on Mar 30, 2011 9:34 AM EDT reply actions

Is

there an opening day lineup yet?

by Soriano NY 12 on Mar 30, 2011 9:43 AM EDT reply actions

we're waiting to hear back from the Cardinals since we're apparently getting Pujols, Rasmus and Carpenter

Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows

by Rorschach44 on Mar 30, 2011 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions

they better not have traded Joba!!

by jetanumba2 on Mar 30, 2011 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions

And we got all 3 for the proverbial bucket of baseballs?

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Mar 30, 2011 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Why AAA?

Yanks have three possible spots for Montero, starting catcher, backup catcher, DH…and no opening on the 40 man roster.

Unless/until Jorge goes on DL or acts his age, no way Montero plays much DH…and if Nunez/Chavez do their jobs, Jete/Arod will also vie for some DH time.

No way Montero ready for starting catcher.

So it’s backup catcher to work on game and not get enough AB’s or Scranton. Yanks making the right call, he’s still got a chance to catch in big leagues, he can work on his game and when he’s getting into a groove with the bat they can bring him up….after May when that gives Yanks or possible suitor another year before free agency.

Cervelli can go on DL leaving a spot open on the 40-man roster. When healthy, they’d need to cut him or someone else (excess outfielder I guess). This way, when Cervelli healthy they can cut Molina and not cut the excess outfielder Montero is ready/needed.

by steelerwheeler on Mar 30, 2011 12:06 PM EDT reply actions

If Montero isn't on the roster

by the end of May, trade him. High value, high return. Personally, I think it’s just stupid to have made the moves the Yankees have made. Martin should never have been signed and Montero should be starting and sharing duties with Cervelli, slowly giving more and more of the starts to Montero as the season progressed.

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Mar 30, 2011 12:08 PM EDT reply actions

Signing Martin was an insurance move, especially now if you consider we saw cervelli go down…He’s not going to block montero long term and is simply there so montero has more time to develop rather being rushed up the system like some guy named Joba did…To say if he’s not here by may that we should trade him is short sighted and well just dumb…Leaving Montero in AAA does two things, it give him more AB’s and freezes his arbitration clock. I don’t understand why it’s a bad move. I mean the indians didn’t bring up starlin Castro until june and they had nothing to lose…and well castro got injured and is now out for a while. So it’s always good to have depth at catcher…

by lololol on Mar 30, 2011 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Correction Carlos santana…i’m getting my hyped up prospects mixed up

by lololol on Mar 30, 2011 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions

"F" the arbitration excuse

Let me see, even though he probably should be the starter, and he might as well hit the shit out of the league and help the Yankees win, let’s hold him back so we, the friggin Yankees, can save a couple dollars. Brilliant. And comparing bringing up a catcher to a pitcher? The “way Joba was handled” is lame, too. Some pitchers get hurt, some don’t pan out. It happens. If he can be used in a trade to get somebody’s number one or a high level 2, do it. I still think Romine will be the better all around player anyway. It’s actually Montero holding Romine’s progress in check.

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Mar 30, 2011 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

the only department romine is better in is Defense and even that has regressed last year so it’s hard to say…And you can’t simply say he will hit the shit out of the league when there’s no proof of it…Matt Weiters was the second coming of mauer until he wasn’t. Waiting a few more months for montero or even a year isn’t exactly going to make or break the yankees…And honestly there really is no potentially available pitchers that is worth the cost, unless something surprising happens.

by lololol on Mar 30, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

FELIX!!

by jetanumba2 on Mar 30, 2011 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm hoping

that if the M’s are horrible they’ll be willing to trade him for, say, Montero, Brackman, Betances and throw in Pena.

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Mar 30, 2011 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

If the M's ask for that package....

Cashman should pull the trigger and jump up and down in joy.

by nj23nut on Mar 30, 2011 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions

ideally

Montero and Romine would both be the Yankee catchers and when Posada retires it will give both ample playing time. More likely Romine will be trade bait once the Yankees are sure that Montero is the catcher of the future. If he’s up by June, smacking the ball and handling his role well, Romine will be sent off in a package for a front line starter

by jetanumba2 on Mar 30, 2011 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions

he’s only like 21… next year he’ll be 22 and if he gets the job then, then he’d still be a really young catcher. he’s certainly not done as a Yank prospect.

Did you know Joe Morgan thinks Cano will win a batting title one day?

by Andrew GM on Mar 30, 2011 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I guarantee they signed him

because they felt pressure to sign someone and if the didn’t the Red Sox would have.Happened with Pavano too. I agree with your point though, we didn’t need him. Luckily he is only signed for a year.

by Kansas Yankee on Mar 30, 2011 11:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

He started slow last year.

I think he’ll be on the team sooner rather than later.

by BitterSportsFan on Mar 30, 2011 12:13 PM EDT reply actions

Doesn't it take

A special breed of nitwit to proclaim a 21 year old a bust after his first full ML spring training?
As long as Montero is still a catcher Romine will not pass him on the organizational depth chart. You can’t damage your best prospect like that. (Damage is to his trade value first and psyche second)
It was never going to be Romine breaking camp with the team. That meant that initially it was a matter of can Montero replace Cervelli? When Cervelli got hurt the obvious answer seemed to be that the job was open for Montero, but the worry about Montero only getting into 10 or 11 games by June 1 may have ultimately carried the most weight; maybe the concern about not be able to correct any bad habits or inconsistencies on defense from the bench was decisive.
Where have you gone, Mike Stanley?

by Iggy Poptart on Mar 30, 2011 6:27 PM EDT reply actions

I think that the Yanks sent Montero to AAA to increase his trade value.

If he’s smoking the ball all over the place come June they’re going to call him up or use him in a trade for a starter. I just can’t see this team going the whole year with Phil Hughes as the #2 starter. If Martin is solid behind the plate and hitting like he used to, Montero is trade bait. If Martin is the Martin of the last 2 years, Montero will be catching come June.

by nj23nut on Mar 30, 2011 11:45 PM EDT reply actions

um...

aj is the "2, right? presumably, u mean that you think he is in name only (? as in, “aj pitches like #2”?)…

fwiw, i pegged martin as the biggest surprise for this year’s yanks—and i mean that in a good way… montero in aaa is TOTALLY a cool call. hope others will stick it to wally in the espn article comments section (as i did)…

by sing_or_die_1818 on Mar 31, 2011 12:17 AM EDT reply actions