Montero "untouchable," according to BA
John Manuel over at Baseball America has compiled a list of “untouchable” prospects—i.e., young players that are “too valuable to be dealt”—and, of course, Jesus Montero was featured on Manuel’s list. Here’s what was said about Montero:
Scouts who cover the Yankees organization are fond of saying the team over-values its own prospects, but the scouting consensus is that Montero is the real deal. He has premium raw power and pure hitting ability to go with it. If he can catch, he could have a Mike Piazza-esque career. More than likely, he’s New York’s future DH, and the Yankees’ asking price for him is prohibitive.
As seen here, the debate rages on regarding Montero’s ability to catch once he makes it to the Yankees (assuming Brian Cashman actually does view him as an “untouchable” player). The Yankees are committed to keeping Montero behind the dish, however, as his value is intimately tied to that position. Sure, his defense is a work-in-progress and will continue to be so for a while, but when you have players like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter on your team—guys that will need the DH slot in the future (now, I’m assuming Cashman will resign Jeter after his contract expires)—having Montero catch is key.
