Despite mutual interest between Miguel Montero and the Diamondbacks for a long-term extension, talks between the two sides have come to a standstill, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. While neither Montero nor GM Kevin Towers suggested what sort of terms were being discussed, Piecoro says talks are at an impasse because Montero is seeking more guaranteed years than the D'Backs are comfortable offering.
Montero told Piecoro in September that he enjoys playing for the D'Backs and he'd be willing to discuss an extension with Arizona if the team was interested. Shortly before Montero expressed a desire to stay in Arizona long-term, MLBTR's Mark Polishuk examined what sort of contract the catcher might be looking at if he agreed to a three-year extension.
The 28-year-old is coming off his first All-Star season, having hit .282/.351/.469 with 18 homers in a career-high 553 plate appearances. Montero is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, with MLBTR projecting a raise to about $5.3MM for 2012. Piecoro writes that there's no rush to work out a deal quite yet, with the arbitration process a couple months off, but that the two sides will likely want finality before the start of the season.
