QUESTION MARK:Yank youngster Jesus Montero has yet to impress with his defense — leading some to wonder if he’ll last as a catcher. (Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post)
TAMPA — There was a time in 2007, and even for a good deal of 2008, when the Yankees pretty much could have acquired just about anyone for Joba Chamberlain.
Personnel men were that gaga about his stuff, his mix of pitches and his ability to retain command and velocity deep into games. He projected as a young ace, the most attractive commodity in the game.
But slowly, as he ricocheted between the rotation and bullpen; health and injury; and success and mediocrity, Chamberlain’s value plummeted. Some teams remain intrigued about obtaining him to see if they can reclaim a quality starter, but only if they can buy low. The moment to maximize Chamberlain, however, has vanished.
Are the Yanks on the same loss-of-value path with Jesus Montero? Because the more scouts have seen him this spring, the more dubious they have sounded about his defense.
And while the belief is he will hit for impact as a major-leaguer, his attractiveness in the trade market dims if teams view him only as a first baseman/DH — as some have always. One reason, for example, Seattle chose to trade Cliff Lee to the Rangers rather than the Yankees last July was doubts about if Montero could stay a catcher.
I asked four scouts independently about Montero’s defense the past few days, and none was enthused about his chances to stay a catcher long term.
One scout went this far: “No matter how many different ways you ask, I don’t see a catcher. Just because you have shin guards and a mask, that doesn’t make you a catcher.”
The Yanks disagree, of course. Joe Girardi called Montero “a work in process,” and said he still thinks “he can be an above-average catcher.”
Nevertheless, even the Yanks have seen regression in this camp, with one team official saying Montero’s defense had been poor about the last 10 days. One theory is that Montero, 21, has tensed up as he has gone from trying to win the backup job to attempting not to lose it. He went from pursuing the position to the clear favorite when Francisco Cervelli broke his foot.
“I do think it is possible that he wants it so bad that maybe he is trying not to mess up now,” Girardi said.
The perception is Montero had secured the backup spot behind Russell Martin. Girardi, though, said it would be a mistake to dismiss Austin Romine, insisting, “The competition continues, and we have not made a decision yet.”
Montero started last night against the Rays, just the kind of team that — even without Carl Crawford — will look to exploit Montero in the regular season. They stole two bases, but Montero did throw out Johnny Damon trying to steal. One scout said, “I think until he shows that teams shouldn’t do it, every team is going to try to run on [Montero] and bunt on him.”
Montero is in better shape this year and has a strong arm. But he is not fluid getting out from behind the plate, and the scouts say he is poor at framing pitches. The Yanks have been trying to get him lower in his crouch to offer a better target. But at 6-foot-5, those probably will always be issues for Montero.
The Yanks have known Montero might fall into a category with Mike Piazza, Javy Lopez and Jorge Posada — catchers whose defensive work was deemed tolerable because they were such superb hitters. But Montero might be pressing there, as well. Hitting coach Kevin Long said the youngster has become too pull conscious, and must remember his strength is to center and right.
“But there is a lot of ability there,” Long adds.
Which is why the Yanks keep working. For the hitting comparisons are to Edgar Martinez, Manny Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera; and if you put that kind of production behind the plate, the advantage should be substantial.
The Yanks would love an apprentice season similar to Posada’s 1997, when he worked behind a Russell-like catcher named Joe Girardi. In that scenario, Montero would, say, catch twice a week and DH once as an introduction to the majors.
The more he catches, the Yanks say, the better he will get. Or is it the more he catches, the more he will show he can’t? The more he will lower his value?