Still Too Soon to Call Up Montero

Written by Sean P | 11 August 2010

I know what you’re feeling. You’ve just seen Francisco Cervelli flail at another pitch and weakly bloop it towards the second baseman for an easy out. You’ve seen Cervelli nod his head and point at the pitcher, not wear batting gloves, rub dirt on his hands in between pitches and wear high socks. You’ve seen him play- a lot. In fact because of Posada’s injuries Cervelli has started 10 more games on the season than Posada. Despite his ridiculously fluky beginning, Frankie has been terrible- he has a .222 wOBA since the start of June (For you “He’s just so clutch!” people out there- he’s posting a clutchy .122 wOBA in high leverage situations this year).

Cervelli’s general lack of baseball skills and Girardi’s myopic and insistent desire to have a “catching rotation” is driving people nuts. So naturally the calls have started for Jesus Montero to answer our prayers and deliver us from evil (or Cervelli-is the pun on the Lord’s Prayer too much?).

I don’t think it’s the right move though and here’s why. Even though Cervelli has caught a ton, if Montero replaced him he still wouldn’t be playing every day, which is clearly a priority for the Yankees. The Yankees have shown they are extremely reluctant to call real prospects up and sit them, be it in the bullpen or on the bench. The goal is to get real prospects who they feel have not met their ceilings regular playing time. And this is why I think we’ve seen so much Ramiro Pena and Francisco Cervelli this year- the Yankees most likely recognize neither will develop into something more than what they already are- bench players. I’m sure the Yankees aren’t thrilled with how Cervelli or Pena have worked out so far but they aren’t ready to risk stunting the growth of a Nunez or especially a Montero.

Additionally we all know about Montero’s struggles on defense. Is the AL East in August and September really the place to hone that craft? I’d have to think not. Regardless of how you see his future, the Yankees think Montero can improve behind the plate and having him catch as often as possible is the only way that’s even a possibility.

Also consider what calling him up would do to his trade stock. Look, Montero is one of the best prospects in the game and no one is denying that. However the Yankees have shown they’re not against moving him if the deal is good (and rightly so). However if you call him up now and stop his development defensively it shows other teams you’re not taking his future as a catcher seriously. Now very few people DO take that future seriously. Regardless, it’s in the Yankees best interest to continue developing him as a catcher because a monster offensive player without a position just isn’t worth nearly as much as a monster offensive player who can catch, even slightly. It’s a minor point but worth mentioning I think.

I would feel better about having Montero up if he were able to DH when he wasn’t catching, but with Lance Berkman on the roster this isn’t possible. Still even then I wouldn’t be crazy about it. Jesus has started adjusting to AAA well enough where his numbers have leaped the past few weeks. The smart move would be to build on that and not push him too fast- a few weeks of going well in AAA does not mean he’s ready for the majors.

I think the better talking point here is about the need for a quality bench. With Arod’s hip and Posada’s 39 year old glass body, Pena and Cervelli are playing more than we probably expected them too. If Joe was going to play personal catchers all season (and let’s face it, he’s done it throughout 08 and 09 as well) then Cervelli was not a good fit for this team. Catching 2 out of every 5 games is not something he is able to do. I’ve written about how extensively bad Ramiro Pena is even for a defensive backup however he’s gone above and beyond the call of duty to show historic, trend setting shittiness. These needs should have been addressed at the trading deadline or before the season began- with the waiver wire, they still may be yet.

Let’s not compromise the development of our most coveted young asset in order to obtain a backup catcher. We should hope that something works out through waivers to improve our depth. As eager as I am to see what Montero can do in the majors, I’m in favor of taking it slow and playing things conservatively. So let’s try and keep it all in perspective when clamoring for Montero- it’s just too soon.