Miguel Montero Trade a Step in the Right Direction for Arizona Diamondbacks

Earlier this week, the Arizona Diamondbacks traded catcher Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs for two pitching prospects, Jeferson Mejia and Zack Godley. Montero, a huge fan favorite and previously the longest tenured Diamondback, struggled this past season after signing a contract extension. Even though Montero was productive, knocking in 72 runs and hitting 13 home runs, Montero only hit .243.

The trade is the anti-thesis of previous general manager Ken Towers’s regime, which is staying patient with young talent instead of giving up on them too quick. Towers traded away much of the club’s young prospects for some free agents who haven’t lived up to expectations.

September 9, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher

(36, right) talks to catcher

(26, left) during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. The Giants defeated the Diamondbacks 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

In 2011, Tower’s traded top pitching prospect Jarrod Parker to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for reliever Craig Breslow and starting pitcher Trevor Cahill. Before he was traded, Parker threw for more than 180 innings in his next two seasons with Oakland,  posting a sub-4.00 ERA and winning at least 12 games both seasons. However, in his third year with Oakland, he missed the whole season with Tommy John surgery.

Cahill, on the other hand, got progressively worse every season in Arizona. In three years, he only hit 200 innings once and posted ERA’s of 3.78, 3.99 & 5.61. During his third season in Arizona, he was demoted to the bullpen and served a brief stint in the minors before re-entering the starting rotation. Cahill struggled mightily at hitter-friendly Chase Field.

Breslow only lasted one year before being traded to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Scott Podsednik and pitcher Matt Albers. Podsednik refused to be optioned to Triple-A, and as a result, he was released.

Trevor Bauer was the other top pitching prospect Towers traded, where he was dealt to the Cleveland Indians in 2012 in a three-team deal in exchange for pitchers Tony Sipp and Lars Anderson, and shortstop Didi Gregorius. Bauer’s maturity was in question after Montero claimed that he was hard to get along with.

“It was tough,” Montero said via The Burns and Gambo Show on Arizona Sports 620 KTAR. “When you get a guy like that and he thinks he’s got everything figured out, it’s just tough to commence and try to get on the same page with you.”

Sep 14, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher

(47) pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Bauer struggled with his control while with Arizona. In four starts, he walked 13 hitters in 16.1 innings of his rookie season with the Diamondbacks, and finished with an ERA of 6.06. He showed signs of improvement with Cleveland, however. In his first year there, he posted a 5.29 ERA in four starts, but walked 16 batters in 17 innings.

This past season with the Indians, Bauer made 26 starts and had an ERA of 4.18. His control got a lot better, as he walked 60 hitters in 153 innings. Bauer at 23-years old is showing that the Diamondbacks might have jumped the gun too prematurely on him.

Gregorius was supposed to be the team’s future shortstop. He hit .252 during his rookie season and had stretches of being red hot from the batter’s box. In his second season, he hit .226, and ended up being traded to the New York Yankees, which occurred after the Kevin Towers was fired.

Right now, the Diamondbacks believe Chris Owings is the future at shortstop. Owings started the season red hot, before cooling down a bit and had to hit the DL with a shoulder injury he suffered in late July of this past season.

The last top pitching prospect the Diamondbacks traded under the Towers regime was left-handed starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs was apart of a three-team deal in which he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for slugger Mark Trumbo. In addition, Arizona also dealt outfielder Adam Eaton to the Chicago White Sox.

Skaggs in two seasons did not have an ERA under 5.00. In 2012, he had a 5.83 ERA in six starts, while in 2013, he had an ERA of 5.12 in seven starts. In his first season with the Angels before hitting the disabled list, he made 18 starts and had an ERA of 4.30. Skaggs showed, that like Bauer, the Diamondbacks under Towers gave up on their young prospects too soon.

Oct. 14, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks chief baseball officer

in attendance of the game between the Surprise Saguaros against the Salt River Rafters during an Arizona Fall League game at Salt River Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Eaton, in his first season with the White Sox, hit .300 in his first full season as a starting center fielder. Trumbo, in 88 games, had 14 home runs and 61 RBI’s, but only hit .235 in his first season with Arizona.

Now that Montero is traded, the Diamondbacks shaved off $40 million in salary for the next three years. That money could be used to bring in a top-notch free agent to make up for the Justin Upton trade, which also happened under Towers.

Upton remains very productive for Atlanta, while third baseman Martin Prado had been traded the following year to the New York Yankees. The Prado trade was in exchange for minor league catcher Peter O’Brien, who might be Montero’s replacement according to new general manager Dave Stewart.

“We’re expecting him (O’Brien) at some point in the course of next year’s season to show up (in the majors) for us,” Stewart said via the Arizona Republic. “That’s what we’re hoping.”

Under the leadership of Stewart and Chief Baseball Executive Tony La Russa, the Diamondbacks look to end the trade carousel that included much of the young’s top young prospects.

The Montero trade signifies that the club looks to try to bring back some pitching prospects, but this time stay patient and develop them, instead of giving up on its prospects too quick like Towers did for years.