Yankees MILB: Remembering Jesus Montero
“On the hitting side, you have Jesus Montero…but he isn’t the name I
am seeing the most buzz given to. The biggest “buzz” player in
extended spring training seems to be Carlos Urena, a 17-year-old
outfielder who has plus attributes across the board.”
That was part of my Minor League Report on May 28th, 2007. It’s the earliest post I can find where I mentioned Montero, on the old Yankees Usenet group.
The year before, the Yankees secured Montero for $1.6 million, instantly making him one of the top prospects in the organization. Before the 2010 season began, he was the 4th best prospect in baseball (Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus). He would make his MLB debut a year later, playing in 18 late-season games for the Yankees.
Those games offered a glimpse of the immense talent he possessed. He hit .328/.406/.590 with four home runs, including at least one to the short porch. With Jorge Posada on the verge of retirement and Russell Martin a year from free agency, the Yankees seemed to have their catcher of the future, even if there was a debate about whether he could handle that full-time.
Brian Cashman, always looking for young controllable pitchers, saw our excitement over our young power prospect as an opportunity. He shipped Montero, along with Hector Noesi, to the Seattle Mariners for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos.
Pineda, 22, was coming off a rookie campaign that included an All-Star appearance and a 5th place finish in the Rookie of the Year vote. This was one of the most fascinating trades I ever covered. We all know what happened from there. Pineda came to camp in 2012 with reduced velocity, causing the Yankees’ beat reporters to send out alarm bells. Eventually, in an effort to show everyone everything was fine, he blew out his shoulder and didn’t make his Yankees’ debut until 2014.
Meanwhile, Montero received his only extended look. He played in 135 games in 2012, hitting .260/.298/.386 with 15 home runs. He split time between catcher and designated hitter throughout his Mariners career, which lasted through 2015. He never appeared in MLB again, though he roamed around in the minors for a while. He was still playing in Venezuela in 2021, though I don’t believe he ever played in the World Baseball Classic.
There were a few controversies during Montero’s MLB career, including an altercation with a roving Mariners’ instructor (Butch Baccala) after Baccala sent an ice cream sandwich to Montero in between innings (a reference to Montero’s weight problems). Additionally, he had a 50-game suspension after the 2016 season due to PED use.
While he has faded away from the baseball spotlight, Yankees fans never truly forgot about him. The moment I heard about his death, memories of his once-promising career came back to me. Memories of debating the Pineda trade. Memories of following his career in Seattle. I didn’t know Montero, obviously. But when you write about prospects, you still feel an attachment to them. You want them to succeed against the odds. While Montero didn’t turn into Manny Ramirez or even half of a Manny Ramirez, he accomplished what most people who play baseball never will: He realized his MLB dream.
More importantly, Montero leaves behind two young children. Reportedly, they both have autism. This isn’t just a story of a hyped prospect we followed nearly 20 years ago. It’s a story of a man with a family who was tragically taken from us too soon. If the reports of a drunk driver are true, it’s just another reminder of how one stupid decision can forever impact an entire family. I can’t imagine the pain his family is feeling today, or over the past few weeks when he was fighting for his life. It’s an unfair and cruel world sometimes.
Rest in Peace, Jesus. You deserved a longer life, but your legacy will live on.