TAMPA — Jorge Posada, with 1,573 games caught in the major leagues, is on the case.
Jesus Montero is literally the big
deal of Yankees camp. He is so tall, the company he affiliates with does not make a shin guard long enough to fit Montero comfortably. So he is experiencing pain where the plastic is driving in just below his knee. Posada, serving as kind of father role to Montero, will not abide the pain.
Posada tried to refashion this particular tool of ignorance yesterday morning. He also alerted Joe Girardi, 1,247 games caught in the majors, about the problem and the Yankees manager called the company requesting a custom-made pair of shin guards for Montero, pronto.
The previous morning, as A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia popped fastballs not far away, Girardi and coach Tony Pena, 1,950 games caught in the majors, were conducting drills with Montero designed to quicken his transfer of the ball from glove to hand, to better attack base stealers.
That was a continuation of work Butch Wynegar, 1,249 games caught in the majors, did with Montero at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year in what amounted to an advanced catching seminar that lasted the entire 2010 season.
The Yankees have gathered their most experienced catching minds — Posada, Girardi, Pena and Wynegar all are in the top 35 for games played behind the plate over the past 40 years — to prepare a player who has yet to play a game in the majors.
And, really, this prep work is about defense. As Posada said, “[Montero’s] bat is ready.” Montero is viewed as an elite offensive prospect, drawing comparisons to Manny Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera. But outside the Yankees organization, doubt persists about his defense.
One AL executive went as far as to say: “He can’t catch in the majors. He is a DH.”
Wynegar is among the Yankees officials who would dispute that. Earlier this week, at the annual meeting of major league staff and front office officials to assess each player in camp, Wynegar told the 25 or so people in the room, “Jesus Montero is major league average defensively, right now.”
If that is accurate — that Montero can be competent defensively — he has a long promising career as a catcher ahead.
“Monty is not Mike Piazza,” Wynegar said. “He is not going to be a hitter only as a catcher. He is going to be an every-day catcher in the big leagues who can handle the catching. I truly believe that.”
The Yankees know what an advantage it is to have a high-end offensive catcher even if his defense is shaky, because Posada has been such an asset. Now, Posada reluctantly is passing the baton. Russell Martin is viewed as the 2011 starter, and Girardi suggested that will be for anything from 110-125 games, health depending.
The backup role is open, with Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine and Montero in competition. The Yankees must decide if there are enough at-bats for Montero between catching, say, twice a week and DH to keep him from stagnating in the majors. They believe an apprenticeship — in which, among other things, he goes through the scouting meetings and is broken in slowly — would be beneficial. And they believe his bat can help win games now, and perhaps widen his role as the season progresses.
“He’s very close,” said Wynegar, the Yankees’ Triple-A hitting coach. “Is he there yet? No. But he took a big step forward last year.”
Montero is in better shape than last spring, when he upset Yankees officials by showing up heavy. His footwork is far from balletic, but at 6-foot-5 he is not as clumsy-looking as last year. Wynegar said Montero’s arm arc was shortened and his throws to second during 2010 fell under 2.00 seconds to an average of 1.92 and “he became a good thrower.” Wynegar also praised Montero’s blocking ability despite his size.
Nevertheless, nothing about his defense is smooth. Montero awed Yankees officials by making at-bat to at-bat adjustments as a 17-year-old in the Gulf Coast League, but it was not until last year that he began to grasp how vital it was to retain what each opposing hitter was doing as a way to call a game.
He still botched too many balls. He did the extra pregame work, but not as a self-starter and instead only with the nudge of Wynegar, who told Montero, “The day you get serious, you will be a monster in this game.”
Montero still is just a baby-faced 21. He says he wants to play in the majors now, but will accept any decision.
But the decision is in his control. Will he make the Yankees think he looks good in his new shin guards?