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Mariners To Acquire Rafael Montero

By Mark Polishuk | December 15, 2020 at 1:56pm CDT

The Mariners and Rangers have agreed to a trade that will sent right-hander Rafael Montero to Seattle, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).  Texas will receive right-handed pitching prospect Jose Corniell in return, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links), with Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram adding that the Rangers will also get a second prospect.  That other minor leaguer is a player to be named later, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Relief pitching was a major offseason target for the Mariners, and GM Jerry Dipoto will now add a talented reliever from within the AL West.  Montero posted a 4.08 ERA, 3.17 K/BB rate, and 9.7 K/9 over 17 2/3 innings last season, with ERA predictors painting a pretty solid view of his work (3.70 FIP, 4.85 xFIP, 4.00 SIERA), as his very low 49.4% strand rate was at least somewhat balanced out by a .227 BABIP.

2020 marked Montero’s first full (or as full as could be, given the shortened schedule) season back after he missed all of 2018 recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Montero returned to toss 29 innings out of the Texas bullpen in 2019, looking very impressive in posting a 2.48 ERA.

Once a highly-touted prospect during his time in the Mets farm system, Montero never really clicked while pitching in parts of four (2014-17) seasons in New York.  Shoulder injuries, frequent shuttles up and down between Triple-A and the big leagues, and moving between both starting and relieving all contributed to Montero posting a 5.38 ERA over 192 1/3 innings in a Mets uniform.

The Amazins cut him loose following the 2018 season and Montero then inked a minor league deal with Texas, where he has gotten his career back on track.  The move to full-time relief work has unlocked some extra velocity for Montero even post-TJ surgery.  He has averaged 95.7mph on his fastball in 2019-20, after never topping the 93.7mph mark in his first four seasons.

Montero completed all eight of his save chances for Texas in 2020, and now looks to be the favorite to work as the closer in a Mariners bullpen that is lacking in ninth-inning answers.  Montero turned 30 in October, though while he isn’t all that young, he is still controllable for two more seasons, projected to earn between $1.4MM and $2.5MM in his second trip through the arbitration process.

The trade marks another step in the Rangers’ plan to get younger this winter, as the team embarks on a mini-rebuild.  (Moving Montero also clears a 40-man roster spot for the newly-signed David Dahl.)  Given the low cost involved in acquiring Montero, trading him for a couple of young prospects isn’t a bad return for Texas, especially considering the relative difficulty in offering bullpen help in trade talks given the large number of other relievers available in free agency.

Corniell is only 17 years old, and was brought aboard by the M’s when the 2019-20 international signing window opened.  He has yet to begin his pro career thanks to the minor league shutdown in 2020, but MLB.com ranks Corniell as the 24th-best prospect in Seattle’s farm system, touting a solid three-pitch arsenal of a changeup, a “power curve,” and a fastball that can hit the mid-90’s.

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Newsstand Seattle Mariners Texas Rangers Transactions Rafael Montero

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View Comments (117)

Comments

  1. larkraxm

    1 year ago

    This is like when the Mariners traded for Jesus Montero! You’re welcome M’s fans!

    Reply
    • Wes Norton

      1 year ago

      How?

      Reply
      • Josué Saro

        1 year ago

        The player traded last name is Montero

        Reply
  2. Rangers29

    1 year ago

    YO

    Reply
  3. NYstateofmind 2

    1 year ago

    I thought Rafael Montero was the place kicker for the Cowboys.

    Reply
  4. Rangers29

    1 year ago

    Montero is disgusting, y’all will love him M’s, I don’t care what his 2020 stats are, those are inflated by one or two occasions my man’s great.

    Reply
    • MetsFan22

      1 year ago

      When he was a Met I loved him. Even if he numbers didn’t look good. I till think he could be a nasty reliever. He was highly regarded for a reason.

      Reply
    • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

      1 year ago

      He literally out-performed every expected stat possible. Rangers are wise trading him now.

      Reply
      • Dalton1017

        1 year ago

        that is actually fictional one again… do you ever speak facts?

        Reply
        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          Montero’s expected versus actual stats:

          xBAA- .242
          BAA- .190

          xSLG- .462
          SLG- .381

          xwOBA- .317
          wOBA- .278

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          xFIP- 4.85
          FIP- 3.70

          He did this, mind you, with a very unsustainable .227 BABIP against (his career is .332) and giving up one of the hardest hit rates among relievers last season.

          His barrel rate of 15.2% is among the worst of all big league relief pitchers in 2020. He was incredibly lucky for the very few innings he (thankfully) pitched.

          You should be happy. He’ll be Seattle’s problem now.

        • Dalton1017

          1 year ago

          Rangers defense was the reason for a great babip he has stellar numbers the only thing that isn’t looking promising for him is a terrible Flyball rate.

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          You went from “do you ever speak facts?” to making up stuff in a matter of just 17 minutes.

          I’m actually impressed, Dalton.

        • Dalton1017

          1 year ago

          you used stats that are made for a season. really his biggest issue is his Flyball rate

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          You realize that expected stats factor in things like flyball%, right? (Actually don’t answer that, we all know you don’t know that…)

          The expected stats are very telling when you’re looking at performances in a season. Did they over-perform and thus, we shouldn’t expect it again? Did they under-perform and maybe we can expect more?

          In this case, Montero didn’t just over-perform on one expected stat. He over-performed on every single expected stat. He proved to be extremely lucky in the very few innings he pitched in 2020. It’s not very often that such luck exists two seasons in a row.

          Montero is likely going to regress to the mean, and Montero’s mean is, well, let’s just say it’s not great..

        • Cap & Crunch

          1 year ago

          Dalton- Ill double down on 16

          Dealer (showing face card)- Are you sure ?

          Dalton- Yes (pushes more chips out)

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          And no, fly ball % is just ONE of his many problems. I’d be far more worried about his barrel rate. Go look at some of the relievers with worse rates last year:

          Robert Stephenson- 9.90 ERA, 12.19 FIP, 7.20 HR/9
          Heath Hembree- 9.00 ERA, 8.82 FIP, 4.26 HR/9
          Hoby Milner- 8.10 ERA, 7.69 FIP, 3.38 HR/9
          Trevor Gott- 10.03 ERA, 11.93 FIP, 5.40 HR/9
          Franklyn Kilome- 11.12 ERA, 9.28 FIP, 3.97 HR/9
          Ian Kennedy- 9.00 ERA, 8.83 FIP, 4.50 HR/9

          Notice a theme? (That’s rhetorical, I know you don’t).

          That Montero was able to keep the ball in the yard, all the while sporting a crazy high flyball rate (151+) is nothing but pure luck.

          And mind you, all of this is to complement the Rangers by acknowledging they got out of Montero’s issues before it blew up in their face. Congrats!

        • myaccount

          1 year ago

          It’s interesting, Jaso, that you pointed out his FIP (which was better than his ERA) as a mark against him. Dalton also pointed out that it was a SSS, but you ignored him because you’re apparently condescending and arrogant.

        • WereAllJustGuestsHere

          1 year ago

          myaccount you should try reading. Dalton threw the first punch, Jaso threw the final punch.

          Let’s also not forget that in 60 games Montero didn’t have time to slump. That’s a better discussion than your feelings.

        • Stevil

          1 year ago

          Low BABIPs aren’t that uncommon for late-innings relievers. The barrel and GB rates are troublesome. When hitters made contact, they elevated the ball fairly easily. But I don’t know how much should be made of the small sample that was 2020. The average EV wasn’t ridiculous.

          Having an experienced late-innings reliever is a need for Seattle and they’re probably looking at his 2019 and making projections over the last two seasons collectively.

          Also worth noting that Muñoz is probably seen as the future closer or setup option. He’s out for at least half of 2021, so Montero could be somewhat of a stopgap.

          Fair deal for both clubs, in my opinion. Not that exciting, but there’s reward potential for everyone.

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          The “small sample size” argument is so tired. It’s also two-faced.

          On one side, you’re asking everyone to accept that Rafael Montero is this lights out relief pitcher, and just accept it.

          But when anyone offers stats that suggest maybe we’re overstating it, it’s a small sample size issue.

          But it wasn’t a small sample size when y’all tried to sell Montero as a great reliever? Get out of here with that nonsense.

          The SSS argument is so lazy that it’s actually intellectually dishonest. You don’t have an argument, so you just throw out small sample size so you can continue to believe what you wish without having to accept reality.

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          Stevil:

          “The barrel and GB rates are troublesome.”

          That’s an overstatement. Again, the trend of pitchers with extreme barrel rates is not great. That Montero found a way to buck the trend himself probably has more to do with extreme luck than anything.

          The low BABIP argument might make sense if Montero didn’t just have a .269 BABIP in 2019. If Montero sported a BABIP in the low 200’s, I’d buy that it’s common, but not when he’s got a .269 the year prior.

          It’s not like this is a horrible deal. The Mariners didn’t give up a known prospect for Montero, and Montero is owed about 2M in 2021. So if he stinks (which I think he absolutely will), the Mariners can move on.

          The fact that the Rangers didn’t get a top 30 prospect from Seattle is pretty telling of how teams felt about Montero.

        • Stevil

          1 year ago

          I think you missed my point about BABIP. It’s not just him, it’s with a lot of late-innings relievers. But the low BABIP in 2019 supports the argument that 2020 wasn’t as much of a fluke as it appeared.. Worth noting, it was arguably bloated with the Mets.

          Regression is certainly possible, but Seattle’s defense shouldn’t hurt his cause. They should have an outfield of Kelenic-Lewis-Haniger by the end of May, and their infield will likely feature Seager-Crawford-Moore-White. That’s pretty solid.

          I don’t disagree with much of what you said, I’m just trying to be fair. I don’t put much weight into projections, either. Every team has their own, which we will never seen, and I would bet Seattle sees something they like. My guess is that it’s his sinker. He throws it 95. Easy to understand why they like him.

          But from the Rangers’ perspective, they got a (very) young prospect with huge potential…. 5 years from now. They aren’t going to contend next year, and Montero wouldn’t likely be around when they’re ready to contend (free agent in ’23), so why not save some cash and plan for the future?

          With all the DFAs and non-tendered relievers, I don’t think the return suggests he was bad. I think it suggests there isn’t much of a market for relievers like him.

          I really see this as a good deal for both teams, however unexciting it may be.

        • Stevil

          1 year ago

          The SSS argument is legit in any season, not just 2020, and it goes both ways: You should neither read too much into the positives, nor negatives.

          His 2020 varies drastically from his 2019. Hard-hit%, GB%… even as a Met he didn’t get hit that hard and put so many ball into the air. Those were the two biggest negatives.

          I think there is reason for concern, but there’s just as much or more reason for hope. Regardless, this isn’t something to get worked up over.

        • mlbfan

          1 year ago

          JJasoJHS, I actually agree with you on Montero regressing towards the mean. But we don’t know how much of that is luck, granted most if it appears to be. The ballpark should help, and the M’s defense.

        • ayrbhoy

          1 year ago

          Jaso- Jose Corniell is indeed a Seattle Top 30 prospect- he was our 24th ranked prospect, as a 17 yr old who hadn’t pitched on US soil mind you.

          I’ll remind you – Seattle has a top 5 farm system- I’ve seen the M’s org ranked between 2nd and 4th best system in all of MLB. When you consider all of those facts it paints a much different picture of Montero than you are selling.

        • martevious

          1 year ago

          Expected stats are not facts. I don’t know if he is, or not, but if someone exceeds their “expected” stats, maybe they are actually better than people thought….

        • myaccount

          1 year ago

          JJJHS- False. No one is saying accept he’s light out (he’s not) but by the same token, he isn’t the bum you’re making him out to be. And no, SSS has been proven to ve legitimate.

        • brodie-bruce

          1 year ago

          i think all stats good and bad should be looked at with a grain of salt. it was an odd season and it effected players differently but sss is getting old.

    • Superstar Car Wash

      1 year ago

      Do you have any sabermetrics or FIP or WAR? I don’t go by stats from the olden days anymore, so what do sabermetrics say about this Montero boy?

      Reply
  5. oz10

    1 year ago

    I like it. Older so let’s get something for him now.

    Reply
  6. Rangers29

    1 year ago

    I hope we get Isaiah Campbell. He’s filthy.

    Reply
    • matthew102402

      1 year ago

      I could be very wrong, but the likelihood the return is Isaiah Campbell is slim to none

      Reply
    • Dalton1017

      1 year ago

      I would love Kirby but there is no way. it should be Cambell Williamson and Phillips.

      Reply
      • Rangers29

        1 year ago

        What r u on?

        Reply
        • Dalton1017

          1 year ago

          what do you mean?

        • Dalton1017

          1 year ago

          MLB prospect forum

        • Rangers29

          1 year ago

          That is a massive package for Montero. I’m a homer, but even that is extreme. Just Campbell alone is a lot, and I knew that.

        • Dorothy_Mantooth

          1 year ago

          Who said anything about Campbell being part of this deal? I highly doubt that is the case. This 17 year old they just got should be headliner and the PTBNL will be a lower level prospect than this kid.

          The real question is why is Texas trading a cheap, solid reliever/closer? I know they are doing a soft rebuild but Montero was excellent for them and he’s only 30 years old. I understand moving Minor last year and Lynn this year but moving Montero makes little sense to me unless they felt some regression was coming. Sure feels like they could have got a lot more for him at the trade deadline if he continued his play from last season. He’s super cheap too for an 8th inning / closer type.

        • Dalton1017

          1 year ago

          I am not saying all of them. only one of any. I like what we got though. He is young and projectable

        • Rangers29

          1 year ago

          No, Dorothy. That’s who I wanted before we found out who the big piece was. Now I know it’s Jose. Campbell won’t be a PTBNL.

      • M Haworth

        1 year ago

        Step away from the pipe. Wow!!

        Reply
      • ayrbhoy

        1 year ago

        Dalton107, hahaha there is absolutely no way TX would get any of these players in return- Campbell or Kirby. Both of those 2 pitchers figure to have prominent roles in our future. IMO If it’s a decent prospect it will be an outfield player.

        Slund24 -I sincerely doubt the M’s are shipping Mills, Misiewicz or Fletcher- those 3 were just added to the 40 man because Jerry is planning to use all 3 in the pen next year. Obviously I’m not privy to the day to day operations but I highly doubt any of those 3 will be sent to TX.

        I’ve seen Rafael Montero- he has potential but he could just as easily throw up all over himself and lose a late inning role not to mention he missed all of 2018 due to injury. He is no sure thing, not that any of the above mentioned prospects are but my point is it would make more sense for the Mariners to trade a position player, specifically an OF to go with the #22 rated 17 yr old M’s pitcher. The Rangers can certainly use more OF talent.

        Reply
        • slund24

          1 year ago

          ayrbhoy – well yes, we already now know its none of those as it has been released that its Corniell going to Texas. But the 3 I mentioned were not ‘just added’ as they were all on the 40 last year. I had picked those 3 because their 40 man is full and someone has to go and since the original article just stated that its a young pitching prospect, I was assuming it would include a guy from the 40 man rather than them having to DFA someone. Guess someone will be DFA’d so hoping its Swanson or Ervin now.

        • Stevil

          1 year ago

          I wouldn’t be shocked if Kirby and Campbell end up traded at some point. I think there’s a very good chance Seattle invests in a front-line starter as early as next offseason, and they’ll have Gilbert and Hancock, in addition to Gonzales, Sheffield, and possibly Walker or whoever else they bring in this offseason.

          Keywords: wouldn’t be shocked. Still highly unlikely this soon. Starting pitching is an area of strength for Seattle, though, so if a weakness needs to be addressed via trade, pitching may be the form of currency.

        • ayrbhoy

          1 year ago

          Slund24- Wyatt Mills was indeed just added to the 40. You prob just forgot, like I did with AM and A Fletcher that a couple weeks ago he was one of the 4 minor league additions Dipoto described as “no brainers”. The other 3 being Trammell , Delaplane and Juan Then.

          I looked at your post and read – you were suggesting one of AM, AF or Wyatt Mills as the PTBNL in Corniell package. As I said- I just don’t see the M’s trading either one of those 3 RP’s. Personally I think Jerry will need (and use) all 3 of them next year, and I think he’ll send a position player to go with the young RP.

          So far I like the addition of Montero and Kendall Graveman, Flexen is a complete unknown. We have no idea if his KBO numbers

        • ayrbhoy

          1 year ago

          KBO numbers… translate to further improvements in MLB. If Jerry adds a couple of (top 10 FA) good RP’s (a Rosenthal or Treinen) to Montero and Graveman, personally I’d consider this offseason a success. If we Rafael Montero is the best RP we get this year Id be left disappointed and feeling a but like… here we go again

    • slund24

      1 year ago

      M’s 40 man roster is full so its likely a prospect on their 40man. I would suspect Wyatt Mills, Anthony Misiewicz, or Aaron Fletcher.

      Reply
      • Dalton1017

        1 year ago

        I think they are likely to DFA someone

        Reply
        • slund24

          1 year ago

          Yep, hopefully Ervin or Swanson are the victims to be DFA’d

      • bobtillman

        1 year ago

        PTBN can’t be anyone one on the 40, per the union.

        Reply
      • dtdt

        1 year ago

        They are not designating Wyatt Mills. First of all, he has filthy stuff. Second of all, he was just added to the 40-man in the offseason, so he can’t be outrighted until Feb-ish.

        Reply
      • Stevil

        1 year ago

        They’re higher on Mills and Misiewicz than you may realize.

        PTBNLs aren’t usually on the 40 and Seattle has plenty of DFA candidates to make space (when necessary).

        Reply
    • M Haworth

      1 year ago

      Not happening. Jose Corneille is very young with upside though. The other guy will probably be a utility type or B level guy.

      Reply
      • Rangers29

        1 year ago

        That works too. I was shooting fairly high with Campbell.

        Reply
        • ayrbhoy

          1 year ago

          Exactly Haworth- I suspect Corniell is the headliner or more valuable prospect in the trade, not the PTBNL. He’s a 17yr old with a lot of upside, 6’ 3” and already throwing mid 90’s? He has yet to pitch in the US still he’s cracked the highly rated Ms top 30. You know he has upside plus TX gets to control him for 6 years compared with the two years of Montero.

  7. skrockij89

    1 year ago

    Hopefully the M’s didn’t trade anyone significant for him.

    Reply
  8. mets1536

    1 year ago

    When Montero came up he was the High Rated Prospect….. NOT deGROM
    SO MUCH FOR THE SO CALLED EXPERTS

    Reply
  9. Dalton1017

    1 year ago

    awesome

    Reply
  10. Reuven

    1 year ago

    It’s not really the offseason until Jerry the Kid pulls the trigger on a trade.

    Reply
  11. Scot04

    1 year ago

    Good trade for the Mariners.
    Probably low level prospect.
    Rangers just dumping 9m of payroll for 2021, can’t see them getting much more.

    Reply
    • Dalton1017

      1 year ago

      Rangers have no reason to dump payroll. this is all about aquiring prospects for a rebuild. Rangers payroll will likely be north of 100MM which means they will still be very active

      Reply
    • Dorothy_Mantooth

      1 year ago

      @Scoto4 – Where did you get $9M from? Are you adding Lynn’s salary to Montero’s? Montero will probably get $1.8 – $2.0M in arbitration this year which makes him an excellent value. Would have been smarter to hold him until the trade deadline.

      Reply
      • Scot04

        1 year ago

        For some reason I thought he signed a 3year 30M contract with them a couple years ago.
        Obviously was totally wrong and happy to admit it.
        Love he’s controllable at a reasonable cost.

        Reply
  12. DarkSide830

    1 year ago

    unless that 2nd prospect is a great one this trade is garbo for the Rangers.

    Reply
    • Rangers29

      1 year ago

      Yeah, that kind of how I feel. Montero was really good for use and he has two years of control. I expected more, but from what I’ve read about Jose, he sounds ok. The good thing about Jose is that he’s essentially Playdoh. A very clean delivery with average pitches and good command and presence on the mound. He can be stretched and worked and tested. Kind of like an experiment for the Rangers development. They probably like that idea.

      Reply
      • chris44

        1 year ago

        guys, the kid is 17 not one of us has any idea if this is a bad trade or not. Let’s just keep pushing for Kip Fagg to get fired so we don’t ruin him haha! Obviously someone saw something they liked.

        Reply
    • Chev Chelios

      1 year ago

      Not at all garbo. The Rangers have strong depth in the pen. Montero was a great pick up but no need to hang onto those types too long.

      Reply
      • DarkSide830

        1 year ago

        but Montero offers a fair bit of upside and comes with two years of affordable control. he’s no Rivera, but i feel like you could get more then an effective lottery ticket for him.

        Reply
        • Chev Chelios

          1 year ago

          They’re getting a lotto pick and a PTBNL, I guess we’ll wait and see the other guy coming over. I still think this is a smart move, especially since the Rangers only seem to have depth with RP and never anywhere else.

    • Kirk Nieuwenhuis For MVP

      1 year ago

      I think this is a pretty reasonable return for a relief pitcher without much of a track record.

      Reply
      • chris44

        1 year ago

        Your name is hilarious. Nieuwenhuis had a great baseball name haha

        Reply
  13. thatdudetg

    1 year ago

    Oof. This hurts as a Rangers fan, but understandable. Montero’s 2020 numbers are inflated by a couple subpar outings; otherwise… he was absolutely filthy. I’m not going to enjoy watching him succeed for a division rival.

    Reply
  14. BobSacamano

    1 year ago

    Tigers should be trading Cisnero.. like now.

    Reply
  15. Biff

    1 year ago

    When the Dipoto said he wanted to add some experienced arms to the bullpen, this is really not what I was figuring!!!

    Reply
    • Dorothy_Mantooth

      1 year ago

      This is an excellent pickup by Jerry. This guy has averaged more than a K per inning and a WHIP of just under 1.00 in his two years in Texas. He was nasty in 2020 except for 1 really bad outing that skewed his ERA, but he still had a solid 3.70 FIP. He’s moving into the back end of the Seattle bullpen immediately and will only cost them ~ $2M. If he ends up closing, this is a steal for Seattle regardless of who the second player in the deal is.

      Reply
      • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

        1 year ago

        His FIP outperformed his xFIP by 1.15 runs. He gave up one of the hardest barrel rates in baseball last year and sported a unsustainably low .227 BABIP.

        If there’s a pitcher from 2020 that exemplified the word “lucky”, Rafael Montero is a really solid candidate.

        Reply
        • Dorothy_Mantooth

          1 year ago

          That’s why they play the games. He’s been very good for 2 years now in Texas. Seattle fans will be happy with him for sure.

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          Is there a chance that Montero is one of those guys who routinely performs better than his “expected stats”? Sure.

          Is it likely? Not even in the slightest.

          If you’re a Mariners fan, I wouldn’t want this guy near big games.

        • ayrbhoy

          1 year ago

          I’m a Mariners fan with an MLBTV account (hurrah for me!) I’ve watched Montero pitch in every game vs the Mariners and I for one am very happy to have this guy. Are you kidding?

          Quick question John Jaso (btw I will always love you because you caught Felix’s perfecto!) Did you happen to see the Mariners BP last year? They were an absolute disaster. I’m sure you’re well aware of the amount of blown saves

          I don’t think Montero will be the closer. I have a feeling Jerry is also going to get one of the top FA RP’s available. I could be dead wrong but I think Jerry will buy someone like Colomé, Trevor Rosenthal or maybe a Kirby Yates.

          The additions of Graveman and R Montero are improvements to the BP but you add in one of those top 10 FA RP’s all of a sudden that pen starts to look a whole lot better. A legitimate BP capable of getting the M’s into a fight for the Wildcard.

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          A bullpen that was an absolute disaster probably shouldn’t be adding a guy who was giving up some of the most barrels and the most hard hit contact in all of baseball last year.

          Montero dodged a horrible, horrible season. And if he doesn’t figure out how to minimize barrels, it’s going to blow up.

          Luckily for Seattle, they didn’t give up anything for him except a 17-year-old who is a long ways from even making an impact on anything, and it’s not an expensive deal.

          I guess all of that will lessen the blow when the Mariners DFA him in June.

        • ayrbhoy

          1 year ago

          Jaso- you can’t hide your disgust for this deal haha you sound like you dated Montero’s sister then she dumped you!

          I can’t tell if you’re a Mariners fan or not- if you are you must’ve missed watching their BP or had been boycotting the team. When I say the M’s BP was bad I mean it was trash- it was one of the ugliest seasons* by a Seattle BP EVER! We had 7 RP’s with an ERA+ of 37 or lower! We had 9 RP’s with FIP’s higher than 6.57 seven of those guys were over 7.47 two were over 14.00!!! so when I say he is an improvement on what we had I mean by a huge margin. Besides- you and I both know one is never quite sure what you’ll get from any RP from year to year.

  16. Get rid of the softball players

    1 year ago

    Here is a trade that makes sense to me and benefits both teams.
    No substitutes.

    Basic one for one trade.

    Kyle lewis to Cleveland
    Zach plesac to seattle

    A)mariners decline
    B)indians decline
    C)it is a trade

    Mariner and indian fans input is weighted more.

    Reply
    • Dorothy_Mantooth

      1 year ago

      Both teams decline. Seattle likes Lewis and has no reason to move him. Plesac is not going anywhere until he reaches at least year 2 if not year 3 of arbitration in Cleveland which is 3-4 years away. Plesac might be one of the least tradable players on the Indians’ roster right now because of his age, success to date and years of control remaining. The Indians would need to receive a kings ransom in order to consider moving Plesac and Kyle Lewis while very good would not get Cleveland to move Plesac.

      Reply
    • BobSacamano

      1 year ago

      B

      Reply
      • ayrbhoy

        1 year ago

        Dorothy- you forgot option (D) Neither team is interested because both players are valuable to their org.

        Re: Lewis -Which org in MLB decides to rebuild (to get cost controlled talent) then 2 years into the rebuild trades away one of the said talent who had such a big impact he just won ROY? Evaluators around MLB are raving about Kyle Lewis, a middle of the order bat with perennial AS potential. That doesn’t make sense to me. I’m not saying Lewis will be like Lindor but imagine trading away Frankie Lindor or Jose Ramirez 4 months into their Cleveland careers. Can you explain to me, the logic behind trading Lewis? I know it’s fun to debate MLB trades in this setting but I’m really curious to get your thought process.

        Reply
    • marinersblue96

      1 year ago

      I can’t imagine the M’s trading Lewis now. They have some really good prospects coming up but Lewis is a known quantity, we have no idea how Haniger will recover and I don’t see them as players in the OF FA market.

      Reply
    • Cap & Crunch

      1 year ago

      I think its a touch low for the Indians –

      Be a great trade with Kelenc and Rodriguiz almost ready for Sea –

      I think Cle keeps all the cheap pitching and just has that be its identity – If any Sp is moving its Cookie-

      Nice proposal tho, I see the nuts/bolts and practicality from all angles

      Reply
    • muskie73

      1 year ago

      Going into the offseason this Seattle fan viewed Kyle Lewis as the trade-high candidate that Edwin Diaz was two years ago.

      Still Lewis would not be enough to land Zach Plesac.

      FWIW Baseball Trade Values gives Rafael Montero a median surplus value of $500,000 and Jose Corniell a surplus value of $800,000.

      Reply
  17. Get rid of the softball players

    1 year ago

    Both are age 25 and both hit arbitration in 2023
    Forgot to mention.

    Reply
  18. steveni

    1 year ago

    Unless its 2 for 2 deal and we are not seeing thats a steep price for 2 years of Montero for the Ms. Its got the feeling of Pablo Lopez or Freddy Perlata deal. Real steep for the Ms

    Reply
    • Dorothy_Mantooth

      1 year ago

      Tip of the cap to Seattle (and KC, CWS, Mets) for trying to make win now moves. More teams should be trying this.

      Reply
      • Chev Chelios

        1 year ago

        Yeah I agree. I think the Rangers will be making win now moves starting possibly next year. Word is the Rangers are gonna make a run at Story next offseason. I guess will see though.

        Reply
      • brodie-bruce

        1 year ago

        right now is the best time for kc’s new owner steal a big chunk of cards fans. lot of us are tired of our fo “low hanging fruit” approach and kc looks like there building something over there. if they can build a winning team like 15 and sustain it cards pockets may take a hit. btw i hope it dose happen one more competitive teams in mlb means better product two it lights a fire under our a$$ the way i see it the cards have become stagnant and fine with mediocrity

        Reply
  19. justinkm19

    1 year ago

    I can’t believe the Rangers traded him. Stupid.

    Reply
    • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

      1 year ago

      The fact that any GM gave up something of value for one of the biggest regression candidates in baseball is far more mind-boggling.

      Reply
      • DarkSide830

        1 year ago

        do you run some anti-Montero club or something?

        Reply
        • 24TheKid

          1 year ago

          It’s more likely he’s one of the anti-Dipoto guys that live on this site.

        • Mrtwotone

          1 year ago

          I’m more of a land cruiser guy myself. Monteros are cool and all but that Toyota reliability tho.

        • chris44

          1 year ago

          Haha we have our fair share of murder Jon Daniels preachers around here too lol

        • JohnJasoJingleHeimerSchmidt

          1 year ago

          No, I’m just baffled by the amount of people who think he’s a good pitcher. He’s really not.

    • rangerfan4ever

      1 year ago

      I am with you. I can’t believe they traded him. He was cheap. Why don’t we just get rid of everyone and go with all triple and double A players. Wait never mind that’s what we have done. Only thing lacking is trading Gallo now. I think I am going to puke

      Reply
  20. jim stem

    1 year ago

    Solid acquisition. Another example of my Mets not developing a talented arm.

    Reply
  21. SwingtheFNbat

    1 year ago

    Nice move M’s, every team needs low leverage innings guys. If this is your regular backend guy, then not so good.

    Reply
  22. ExileInLA

    1 year ago

    I remember when he was ranked ahead of Jacob deGrom…

    Reply
  23. Get rid of the softball players

    1 year ago

    Continued j.rodriquez.nice farm system .pitchers – hancock and gilbert.
    Seager’s 18 mil comes off the books with a lower buyout.
    1great trade chips- marco gonzales.the majority of mlb teams are craving pitching.
    Both sides win

    Reply
    • Stevil

      1 year ago

      Gonzales isn’t a trade chip.

      Reply
    • ayrbhoy

      1 year ago

      Get rid of the softball players- you should change your name- swap out “softball players” for “Marco Gonzales trade talk.”

      Again with the trade Marco talk! He’s not going anywhere. Have you heard of the saying “Rob Peter to pay Paul”?” Marco is one of only 2 pitchers in the rotation that have one full (162g) season of experience in MLB. The M’s plan to compete for a WC in 2021. It would be completely ridiculous to trade away their best SP (who’s on a team friendly contract) then go into a season with only one SP who’s pitched more than one season in MLB. The Mariners need to bring in a SP like Marco to add to their rotation not subtract.

      Reply
  24. Get rid of the softball players

    1 year ago

    Why Cleveland accepts trade.
    Of position is lineup flaw.would have lewis for 6 years.
    Bieber is an ace.farm system loaded with pitching.
    2 huge trade chips- lindor and carrasco- to fill out rest of the line up.

    Reply
  25. Brennan nedeff

    1 year ago

    Bet the ptbnl is Ljay Newsome

    Reply
    • mlbfan

      1 year ago

      It could be, or Robert Dugger.

      Reply
  26. houkenflouken

    1 year ago

    Corniell is a pretty exciting prospect. Being 17 and having 3 potential plus pitches gives him a solid no. 2 starter ceiling.

    It all depends on Texas’ player development. Idk how good they are at developing pitchers but I remember Jerry dipoto calling him a soft moldable piece of clay or something.

    Good trade for both sides really. Montero is a late inning option and the M’s gave up a prospect that won’t be ready for 4-6 more years. Rangers add talent.

    Reply
  27. Get rid of the softball players

    1 year ago

    Do you honestly think gonzalez is going to be better than plesac the next 6 years?

    Reply
    • Stevil

      1 year ago

      Gonzales is better right now and offers exactly what Seattle needs. What Seattle doesn’t need are more starting pitching prospects at the expense of a high-ceiling fielder.

      Do a little homework on Emerson Hancock, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Brandon Williamson, Juan Then, etc.

      If Seattle adds a starter, it will most likely come via free agency and it’s a safe bet that any trade wouldn’t include Lewis, Kelenic, Rodriguez, or any other elite fielder or prospect.

      Reply
    • muskie73

      1 year ago

      Zach Plesac and Marco Gonzales each remain under team control for five seasons and Baseball Trade Values assigns a median surplus value of $53.1 million for Plesac and $51.1 million for Gonzales. Gonzales was likely docked for being three years older than Plesac.

      Over the past two seasons Plesac has posted 2.5 fWAR in 29 starts while Gonzales has posted 5.6 fWAR in 45 starts.

      Reply
  28. bigdaddyhacks

    1 year ago

    Its hard to take any relievers stats to seriously. One year these guys are unhittable and then they throw BP. You have to just hope you get a good season.

    Reply
  29. Tridenthope

    1 year ago

    This trade is likely for only 1/2 a year of Montero being Munoz will (hopefully) be ready to go in June. Montero would be attractive to contending teams being an extra year of service if he continues to put up positive numbers. Dipoto is just gambling he can get better and prospects at next years trade deadline.

    Reply

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