The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired catcher Miguel Montero, who was recently designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs amid a storm of controversy.
Montero allowed seven stolen bases in a 6–1 loss to the Washington Nationals last week, after which he criticized Cubs starter Jake Arrieta and the rest of the team’s pitching staff for not doing their part to hold runners on base.
“That’s the reason they were running left and right today, because they were slow to the plate,” he said. “Simple as that. It’s a shame it’s my fault because I didn’t throw anyone out.”
The backstop later apologized, but Cubs president Theo Epstein acted quickly, thinking it was in the best interest of his team to part ways with the MLB veteran.
There’s more to Montero than just controversy, though. Here’s a closer look at the Blue Jays’ newest signee:
Name: Miguel Montero
Position: Catcher
Throws: Right
Bats: Left
Age: 33
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 210 pounds
Contract status: Will become free agent after 2017 season
Anthony Rizzo is not a fan
All right, so we said there’s more to Montero than controversy, but the 33-year-old has had his fare share of it over 12 seasons in the league. After the most recent controversy, teammate Anthony Rizzo fired back.
“When you point fingers you’re a selfish player,” he said. “We have another catcher that throws everyone out.”
Montero, for his part, said his comments came from the “heat of the moment.”
“He’s grinding out there; I’m grinding behind the plate,” he said. “It’s tough. It’s the heat of the moment. I said what I said — yes, I’m responsible. I talked to him to apologize because I feel like I should step up and apologize, and I did.”
He has a history of being outspoken
After the Cubs won the World Series last year, Montero complained that he hadn’t been given enough playing time.
“It was different for me,” he said in an appearance on ESPN radio. “It was a different emotion because I didn’t get a chance to play. I was a little disappointed, to be honest, because I felt like I did a good job in the regular season but was left out a little bit. It made me feel a little like not important or maybe not as good to be in this lineup.”
Montero added that the hardest part, for him, was a lack of communication from the team about what his role would be. “I expected to be treated a little better,” he said.
In 2013, Montero made headlines when he called out former teammate Trevor Bauer. The two were paired together in Arizona, but Montero said Bauer was a difficult pitcher to work with because he wasn’t responsive to his catcher.
“Since day one in Spring Training I caught him and he killed me because he threw about 100 pitches the first day … the next time he threw I saw him doing the same thing,” he said. “He never wanted to listen.”
He should help the Blue Jays’ offence
Montero, who turns 34 on July 9, is a two-time all-star who is currently slashing 286/.366/.439 through 112 plate appearances. While his best seasons are behind him, Montero should still provide a solid bump to Toronto’s offence. He’s also glad the Blue Jays are giving him a shot:
But given what happened in the game on June 27, what are we to make of Montero’s defence? So far, he’s thrown out one of 32 runners attempting to steal base. He stopped just 11 per cent of stolen base attempts last season in Chicago.
He tries to give back
While Montero has had his share of controversy, the Venezuelan backstop also makes a point of doing good. Earlier this year, he and his wife launched the Miguel and Vanessa Montero Foundation, which aims to provide medical assistance to children in Venezuela.
“The medicine in Venezuela is not good and kids are dying, and people are dying because the antibiotics are nothing down there,” Montero told MLB.com. “It’s sad. If we can help one or two or three kids a year, we’ll try to do it.”
