Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers and catcher Miguel Montero announced today they'll shelve contract extension talks until after the season, with no hard feelings. The two sides were unable to find common ground, explained the GM. Montero said the D'Backs will be his offseason priority.
Montero, 28, will be eligible for free agency after the season. Last month, Montero and the D'Backs narrowly avoided an arbitration hearing, settling below the midpoint at $5.9MM. Given the difficulty in hammering out a 2012 contract, it's no surprise a long-term agreement could not be reached. Even with another strong offensive year it's unlikely Montero can approach Yadier Molina's new five-year, $75MM deal, but it may at least become a point of reference despite claims to the contrary. Montero will still have decent competition if he reaches free agency, with Mike Napoli, Russell Martin, and Chris Iannetta expected to be eligible. Montero is the youngest of the four.
As soon as the rough ouotline of Molina’s extension were put out there, this was inevitable. The chances of the Dbacks bringing back Montero are now almost zero.
i so desperately wish you were not correct. i think the team would be willing to pay what he wants given all the other recent spending – but i don’t know that he even wants to be a diamondback long term.
WHY????
Hope you guys get him signed, he is underrated IMO. As for 2012 the D-Backs are my pick to be the NL champs. This team has a plethora of talent led by Upton, Goldy, Hudson, Montero etc with more on the way in Skaggs, Bauer, Bradley and Davidson. Impressive bunch and i think they will have a good 5-10 year run, winning a couple division championships and possibly a couple W.S.. You guys are loaded in the pitching department.
Well, it’s been pretty much a given that this was Drew’s last year in ARI, either he’ll perform up to expectations and decline his option, or he’ll fall short, giving the Dbacks incentive to not exercise the option. As a Boras client, an extension that loweers his slaray for 2013 isn’t likely.
Now it looks like Montero is likely gone as well. I had been holding out hope that Drew’s money was going to essentially be slid over to Montero, but if that would get the deal done, I suspect there would already be a contract in place. The fact that Montero and KT are saying Yadi’s contract had nothing to do with this extension falling through is actually kind of scary. That means they were already a long way apart before Yadi got paid. I can’t imagine that Yadi’s contract is going to help, but rather make things even harder for the two sides.
I’d like to say that I can see the Dbacks on a solid 5-10 year run like you suggest. They certainly have the foundation. But they are poised to have a pair of holes right up the middle that will need to be addressed for them to stay strong.
I think Drew will be easier to replace than Montero. Replacing Montero would be a problem though. To my knowledge you guys do not have any promising catching prospect, right? Hopefully KT can sway Montero to a 4-5yr 45-55 mil type deal.
I honestly think you guys have the most talented team in the NL west right now.. Add Bauer and Skaggs to Hudson and Kennedy and thats a dynamic rotation with 3 guys with #1 potential. If you guys keep Upton around(I hope so) then you can pull a couple SF type runs of 2010.. Pitching won them that W.S and I think a ?, Hudson, Skaggs, Bauer blows Cain, Tim and Bummy out of the water as far as potential goes. Lol I’m a bit optimistic but I think if they reach there potential watch out.
come on, man. d’backs most talented team in the al west? you guys (judging by your username) are in the al west. and kennedy is the guy you’re thinking of. 🙂
Haha preciate it bro. I wouldn’t throw my Rangers under the bus like that lol. Kennedy is a beast!
Drew will absolutely be easier to replace than Montero. His replacement may not be as skilled defensively (though we will see how Drew is coming back from that horrific ankle break), above average defense and a decent bat will still suffice, and they may already have that in house.
Catcher is another story. Konrad Schmidt is probably the best/closest the Dbacks have ready to bring up and he’s nowhere near ready to be an everyday guy in ARI.
I would expect Montero to be able to demand 4yr/$50 MM and have more than one suitor at that price. Since noone is talking specific numbers, there’s no telling how much Montero is actually asking, but the Dbacks didn’t even want to go to $8 MM this year. One more year of solid production out of Montero at only age 28 and the Dbacks simply will not be able to stay in budget AND compete with the offers Montero will get.
Have fun in FLA Miguel
Or Los Angeles