Two offseasons ago, the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners agreed to a blockbuster trade rarely seen in Major League Baseball these days, a deal that sent one team's promising yet unproven prospect for the other team's promising yet unproven prospect.
In this case, the Yankees dealt a slugging catcher, Jesus Montero, to the Mariners for a potential ace starting pitcher, Michael Pineda. The trade seemed like a major bust for the Yankees last season; while Montero was nothing to write home about, he was a difficult matchup for left handed pitchers.
Pineda, on the other hand, almost immediately tore his labrum. While rehabilitating, Pineda grabbed headlines for a DUI arrest. He still has yet to pitch one inning in pinstripes, although reports are that he could return to the team after the All-Star break.
Pineda was getting negative press, while Montero was improving his craft. That was the storyline until 2013 hit, and Montero's bat never showed up for the regular season. Now he will be once again riding buses in Triple A.
It's well known that he is a below-average defensive player, but his hitting was supposed to make him an asset. This season, though, Montero is hitting just .209, with a measly three home runs and nine RBI. His on base plus slugging percentage is a paltry .590; that kind of production does not cut it at the Major League level when said player has also costing his team three runs defensively.
His struggles have lessened the backlash against the Yankees for acquiring Pineda, who may not have a rotation spot even when he's finally ready for game action. David Phelps and Ivan Nova have experience in the rotation, and Phelps has performed very nicely since Nova's trip to the disabled list.
Watching Montero flail has led Yankees' part owner Hal Steinbrenner to say, "That is a trade I would do again tomorrow. It's going to be a good one."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.