Welcome Back Montero

This time last year Jesus Montero was not in a good place. He had been suspended for PED’s for half of the season and then suspended again because of a run in with one of the Mariners scouts. At the time he was playing for the low level A team in Everett Washington. It looked like Montero would likely never play a game again in the Mariner organization. The slim chance he had Jack Z. told him he couldn’t slip again and he had to see a counselor.

Looking back to the 2013 he started the season as the regular catcher for the Seattle Mariners. We all found out he was not a very good catcher though he could hit with some power so the Mariners decided to try him at first base along with designated hitter.  First base is what he was working on when he became suspended. He did not look like he could play first base so only the future he had was at designated hitter.

Going into this season things did not look good for Montero because he had been overweight and the suspensions clouded his judgment. Also, the Mariners had signed Nelson Cruz to be their designated hitter. We were all surprised including the other players when Montero arrived for 2015 spring training he had shed 40 pounds and looked like a baseball player. He was still not fast; however, he had been a catcher so we could not really expect that.

Montero started the 2015 season at Tacoma playing mostly at designated hitter and once in a while at first base. He would work on his defense before all games but the Mariners were not sure about him playing first base. Everyone figured regardless of how well he played there would be no place for him on the Mariners because of Nelson Cruz primarily and Logo Morrison at first base. When the Mariners traded for Mark Trumbo the chance was even less that Jesus Montero would ever be seen being in a Mariner uniform unless there was some one injured.

Throughout the season at Tacoma Montero was hitting the ball pretty good batting over .300 but not with a lot of power. Though he was hitting well most scouts said he just could not hit major league hitting with power. They saw him as just a single hitter and that was not going to be good enough to play for the Mariners.

June came a long Montero was called up to play a few games but was primarily used as a pinch hitter and then in July just before the all-star break and one series after the break he was in the lineup against left handed hitters as dh; however, he was sent back down to Tacoma when the Mariners reactivated starting pitcher J.A. Happ back into the rotation. Happ spot in the rotation was not needed in the last series before the break and the first coming out of the break. Jack Z told Montero to continue working hard, and he may have a call up again the future. I am sure most of us thought it would likely be in September when teams expand the rosters.

Near the end of July with the trading dead line coming up the Mariners traded Dustin Ackley to the New York Yankees as the Mariners finally decided it was the end of his career in Seattle. The Mariners had just been swept by the Arizona D-backs and were ten games below .500 so basically the Mariner brass figured it was over as far as contending for the division. So Montero was brought up in the place of Ackley.  Lloyd McClendon said that Montero would play almost every day to see what he can do and what future he has playing in Seattle.

Right now Montero is playing almost every day at first base. Right after he arrived Logan Morrison was injured so he was inserted at first base. Morrison has not played much at first base since except as a late inning replacement. In fact Morrison has been inserted in right field a couple times. The thing now about Montero is that he has played some really good first base. He has made some great plays at first base as well. Right now Montero looks like he could be the opening first baseman for the Mariners in 2016.

Welcome back Jesus Montero you maybe the player the Mariners traded for from the New York Yankees. He has the power bat back in his swing. We thank you that you did not give up on yourself, and the Mariners may have the benefit of it all.